said religion is against the Catholike principles and groundes of the Catechisme PRINTED BY IOHN LEGAT PRINTER to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1600. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPfull Sir William Bowes Knight c. Grace and peace RIght Worshipful it is a notable pollicie of the deuil which he hath put into the heades of sundrie men in this age to thinke that our religion and the religion of the present Church of Rome are all one for substance and that they may be reunited as in their opinion they were before Writings to this effect are spread abroad in the French tongue and respected of English protestants more then is meete or ought to be For let men in shew of moderation pretend the peace and good estate of the Catholike Church as long as long as they will this Vnion of the two religions can neuer be made more then the vnion of light darknes And this shall appeare if we doe but a little consider howe they of the Romane Church haue rased the foundation For though in wordes they honour Christ yet in deed they turne him to a Pseudo-Christ and an Idol of their owne braine They call him our Lord but with this condition that the Seruant of Seruants of this Lord may chaunge and adde to his commandements hauing so great a power that he may open and shut heauen to whome he will and bind the verie conscience with his owne lawes and consequently be partaker of the spiritual kingdome of Christ. Againe they call him a Sauiour but yet in Vs in that hee giues this grace vnto vs that by our merits wee may be our owne Sauiours and in the want of our own merits wee may pertake in the merits of the Saints And they acknowledge that he died and suffered for vs but with this caueat that the Fault beeing pardoned wee must satisfie for the temporall punishment either in this world or in Purgatorie In a word they make him our mediatour of Intercession vnto God but withal his Mother must be the Queene of Heauen and by the right of a Mother commaund him there Thus in worde they crie Osunna but in deede they crucifie Christ. Therefore wee haue good cause to blesse the name of God that hath freed vs from the yoke of this Romane bondage and hath brought vs to the true light libertie of the gospel And it should be a great height of vnthankfulnesse in vs not to stand out against the present Church of Rome but to yeeld our selues to plottes of reconciliation To this effect and purpose I haue penned this little Treatise which I present to your Worship desiring it might be some token of a thankfull mind for vndeserued loue And I craue withall not onely your Worshipfull which is more common but also your learned protection beeing well assured that by skill and arte you are able to iustifie whatsoeuer I haue truely taught Thus wishing to you and yours the continuance and the increase of faith and good conscience I take my leaue Cambridge Iun. 28. 1597. Your Worships in the Lord William Perkins THE AVTHOR TO THE Christian Reader BY a Reformed Catholike I vnderstand any one that holdes the same necessarie beads of religion with the Romane Church yet so as he pares off and reiects all errours in doctrine whereby the said religion is corrupted Howe this may be done I haue begun to make some little declaration in this small Treatise the intent whereof is to shewe how neere wee may come to the present Church of Rome in sundrie points of religion and wherein we must for euer dissent My purpose in penning this small discourse is threefolde The first is to confute all such Politikes as hold and maintaine that our religion and that of the Romane Church differ not in substance and consequently that they may be reconciled yet my meaning is not here to condemne any Pacification that tends to perswade the Romane Church to our religion The second is that the Papists which thinke so basely of our religion may be wonne to a better liking of it when they shall see howe neere we come vnto them in sundrie points The third that the common protestant might in some part see and conceiue the point of difference betweene vs and the Church of Rome and know in what manner and how farre forth we condemne the opinions of the said Church I craue pardon for the order which I vse in handling the seuerall points For I haue set them downe one by one as they came to mind not respecting the lawes of method If any Papist shall say that I haue not alleadged their opinions aright I answer that their bookes be at hand and I can iustifie what I haue saide Thus crauing thine acceptation of this my paines and wishing vnto thee the increase of knowledge and loue of pure and sound religion I take my leaue and make an ende The places of doctrine handled are 1 Of Free-will 2 Of Originall sinne 3 Assurance of saluation 4 Iustification of a sinner 5 Of merits 6 Satisfactions for sinne 7 Of Traditions 8 Of Vowes 9 Of Images 10 Of Reall presence 11 The sacrifice of the Masse 12 Of Fasting 13 The state of perfection 14 Worshipping of Saints departed 15 Intercession of Saints 16 Implicite faith 17 Of Purgatorie 18 Of the supremacie 19 Of the efficacie of the Sacraments 20 Of faith 21 Of Repentance 22 The sinnes of the Romane Church REVELAT 18. 4. And I heard another voice from heauen say Goe out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sinnes and receiue not of her plagues IN the former chapter S. Iohn sets downe a description of the whore of Babylon that at large as he saw her in a vision described vnto him In the sixteenth verse of the same chapter he foretels her destruction and in the three first verses of this 18. chapter hee goeth on to propound the said destruction yet more directly and plainely withall alleadging arguments to prooue the same in all the verses following Nowe in this fourth verse is set downe a caueat seruing to forewarne all the people of God that they may escape the iudgement which shal befall the whore and the words containe two parts a commandement and a reason The commandement Come out of her my people that is from Babylon The reason taken from the euent least ye be partakers c. Touching the cōmandement first I will search the right meaning of it and then set downe the vse thereof and doctrine flowing thence In historie therefore are three Babylons mentioned one is Babylon of Assyria standing on the riuer Euphrates where was the confusion of Languages and where the Iewes were in captiuitie which Babylon is in Scripture reproched for Idolatrie and other iniquities The second Babylon is in Egypt standing on the riuer Nylus and it is now called Cayr of that mention is made 1. Pet. 5.13 as some thinke though indeede it is as likely and more commonly thought
holy spirit who bringeth it forth onely in such as he dwells in c. Then these holy desires and praiers beeing the motions of the holy Ghost in vs are testimonies of our faith although they seeme to vs small and weake As the woman that feeleth the mooning of a childe in her body though very weak assureth her selfe that shee hath conceiued and that shee goeth with a liue childe so if we haue these motions these holy affections and desires before mentioned let vs not doubt but that we haue the holy Ghost who is the author of them dwelling in vs and consequently that we haue also faith Againe he saith If thou hast begun to hate and flee sinne if thou feelest that thou art displeased at thine infirmities corruptions if hauing offended God thou feelest a griefe and a sorrow for it if thou desire to abstaine if thou thou auoidest the occasions if thou trauailest to doe thy endeauour if thou praiest to God to giue thee grace all these holy affections proceeding from none other then from the spirit of God ought to be so many pledges and testimonies that hee is in thee Master Knokes saith Albeit your paines sometimes bee so horrible that you finde no release nor comfort neither in spirit nor bodie yet if thy heart can onely sob vnto God despaire not you shall obtaine your hearts desire And destitute you are not of faith for at such time as the flesh naturall reason the lawe of God the present torment the deuill at one doe crie God is angrie and therefore there is neither helpe nor remedie to be hoped for at his handes at such time I say to sob vnto God is the demonstration of the secret seede of God which is hidde in Gods elect children and that onely sob is vnto God a more acceptable sacrifice then without this crosse to giue our bodies to be burnt euen for the truthes sake More testimonies might be alleadged but these shall suâ—fice Against this point of doctrine it may bee alleadged that if desire to beleeue in our weakenesse bee faith indeede then some are iustified and may be saued wanting a liuely apprehension and full perswasion of Gods mercie in Christ. Answere Iustifying faith in regard of his nature is alwaies one and the same and the essentiall propertie thereof is to apprehend Christ with his benefits and to assure the very conscience thereof And therefore without some apprehension and assuranee there can be no iustification or saluation in them that for age are able to beleeue Yet there be certaine degrees and measures of true faith There is a strong faith which causeth a full apprehension and perswasion of Gods mercy in Christ. This measure of faith the Lord vouchsafed Abraham Dauid Paul the Prophets and Apostles and Martyrs of God It were a blessed thing if all beleeuers might attaine to this height of liuely faith to say with Paul I am perswaded that neither life nor death nor any thing else shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God in Christ but all cannot therefore there is another degree of faith lower then the former and yet true faith called a little or weake faith and it also hath a power to apprehend and apply the promise of saluation but as yet by reason of weakenesse it is infolded as it were and wrapt vp in the heart as the leafe and blossome in the budde For such persons as haue this weake faith can say indeede that they beleeue their sinnes to bee pardonable and that they desire to haue them pardoned but as yet they cannot say that they are without all doubt pardoned And yet the mercie of God is not wanting vnto themâ—â—or in that they doe and can desire and indeauour to apprehend they doe indeede apprehend God accepting the desire to doe the thing for the thing done This which I say will the better appeare if the groundes thereof bee considered Faith doeth not iustifie in respect of it selfe because it is an action or vertue or because it is strong liuely and perfect but in respect of the obiect thereof namely Christ crucified whome faith apprehendeth as hee is set forth vnto vs in the word and sacraments It is Christ that is the author matter of our iustice and it is he that applieth the same vnto vs as for faith in vs it is but an instrument to apprehend and receiue that which Christ for his part offereth and giueth Therefore if faith erre not in his proper obiect but followe the promise of God though it doe weakly apprehend or at the least cause a man onely to endeauour and desire to apprehend it is true faith and iustifieth Though our apprehension be necessarie yet our saluation standes rather in this that God apprehendes vs for his owne then that we apprehend him Phil. 3.12 Out of this conclusion springes another not to bee omitted that God accepts the indeauour of the whole man to obey for perfect obedience it selfe THat is if men indeauour to please God in all things God will not iudge their doings by the rigour of the lawe but will accept their little and weake indeauour to doe that which they can doe by his grace as if they had perfectly fulfilled the lawe But here remember I put this caueat that this indeauour must be in and by the whole man the very minde conscience wil affections doing that which they can in their kinds and thus this indeauour which is a fruite of the spirit shall be distinguished from ciuill righteousnes which may bee in heathen men The trueth of this conclusion appeares by that which the Prophet Malachi saith that God will spare them that feare him as a father spares his childe who accepts the thing done as well done if the child shewe his good will to please his father and to doe what he can IV. Conclusion To see and feele in our selues the want of any grace and to be grieued therefore is the grace it selfe The Exposition VNderstand this conclusion as the former namely that griefe of heart for the want of any grace necessarie to saluation is as much with God as the grace it selfe When being in distresse wee cannot pray as we ought God accepts the very groanes sobbes and sighes of the perplexed heart as the praier it selfe Rom. 8. 26. When we are grieued because we cannot bee grieued for our sinnes it is a degree and measure of godly sorrowe before God Augustine saith well Sometimes our praier is luke-warme or rather colde and almost no praier nay sometime it is altogither no praier at all and yet we cannot with griefe perceiue this in our selues for if we can but grieue because we cannot pray we nowe pray indeede Hierome saith Then we are iust when wee acknowledge our selues to be sinners Againe this is the true wisdome of man to knowe himselfe to be imperfect And that I may so speake the perfection of all iust men in the flesh is imperfect
is euident 1. by the course of nature 2. by the nature of the soule of man 3. by the distinction of things honest and dishonest 4. by the terrour of conscience 5. by the regiment of ciuill societies 6. the order of all causes hauing euer recourse to some former beginning 7. the determination of all things to their seuerall ends 8. the consent of all men well in their wits God is Iehouah Elohim Exod. 6.2 And Elohim spake vnto Moses and said vnto him I am Iehouah and I appeared vnto Abraham to Isaac and to Iacob by the name of God almightie but by my name Iehouah was I not knowne vnto them Exod 3.13 If they say vnto me What is his name What shall I say vnto them And God answered Moses I am that I am Also he said thus shalt thou say vnto the children of Israel I am hath sent me vnto you And God spake further to Moses Thus shalt thou say vnto the children of Israel Iehouah Elohim c. hath sent me vnto you In these wordes the first title of God declareth his Nature the second his Persons The Nature of God is his most liuely and most perfect essence The perfection of the nature of God is his absolute constitution by the which he is wholly complete within himselfe Exod. 3. 13. I am that I am Act. 17.24 God that made the world and all things that are therein seeing that he is the Lord of heauen and earth dwelleth not in temples made with hands neither is worshipped with mens hands as though he needed any thing seeing he giueth to all life and breath and all things The perfection of his Nature is either Simplenes or the Infinitenes therof The Simplenesse of his nature is that by which he is void of all Logical relation He hath not in him subiect or adiunct Ioh. 5.26 As the Father hath life in himselfe so hath he giuen to the Sonne to haue life in himselfe conferred with Ioh. 14.6 I am the way the truth and the life 1. Ioh. 1.7 But if we walke in light as he is in light conferred with v. 5. God is light and in him is no darkenesse Hence it is manifest that to haue Life and to be Life to be in Light and to be Light in God are all one Neither is God subiect to generalitie or specialtie whole or parts matter or that which is made of matter for so there should be in God diuers things and one more perfect then another Therefore whatsoeuer is in God is his essence and all that he is he is by essence The saying of Augustine in his 6. booke and 4. chap. of the Trinitie is fit to prooue this In God saith he to be and to be iust or mightie are all one but in the minde of man it is not all one to be and to be mightie or iust for the minde may be destitute of these vertues and yet a minde Hence it is manifest that the Nature of God is immutable and Spirituall Gods immutabilitie of nature is that by which he is void of all composition diuision and change Iam. 1. 17. With God there is no variablenesse nor shadowe of changing Mal. 3.6 I am the Lord and am not changed Where it is saide that God repenteth c. Gen. 6.6 the meaning is that God changeth the action as men doe that repent therefore repentance it signifieth not any mutation in God but in his actions and such things as are made and chaunged by him Gods Nature is spirituall in that it is incorporall and therefore inuisible Ioh. 4.24 God is a spirit 2. Cor. 3. 17. The Lord is the spirit 1. Tim. 1.17 To the King eternall immortall inuisible onely wise God be glorie and honour for euer and euer Col. 1.15 Who is the image of the inuisible God The infinitenesse of GOD is twofolde his Eternitie and Exceeding greatnesse Gods eternitie is that by which he is without beginning and ending Psal. 90. 2. Before the mountaines were made and before thou hadst formed the earth and the round world euen from euerlasting to euerlasting thou art our God Revel â— 8. I am Alpha and Omega that is the beginning and ending saith the Lord Which is Which was and Which is to come Gods exceeding greatnes is that by which his incomprehensible nature is euery where present both within and without the world Psal. 145.3 Great is the Lord and worthie to be praised and his greatnes is incomprehensible 1. King 8.27 Is it true indeede that God will dwell on the earth behold the heauens and the heauens of heauens are not able to containe thee how much lesse is this house that I haue built Ier. 23. 24. Doe not I fill the heauen and earth saith the Lord Hence it is plaine First that he is onely one and that indiuisible not many Eph. 4.5 One Lord one faith one Baptisme one God and Father of all Deut. 4. 35. Vnto thee it was shewed that thou mightest know that the Lord he is God and that there is none but he alone 1. Cor. 8.4 We know that an idoll is nothing in the world and that there is none other God but one And there can be but one thing infinite in nature Secondly that God is the knower of the heart For nothing is hidden from that nature which is within all things and without all things which is included in nothing nor excluded from any thing Because 1. King 8. 39. the Lord searcheth all hearts and vnderstandeth euery worke of the minde Psal. 139.1,2 Thou knowest my sitting downe and my rising vp thou vnderstandest my cogitation a farre off CHAP. 3. Of the life of God HItherto we haue spoken of the perfection of Gods nature Now followeth the life of God by which the Diuine Nature is in perpetuall action liuing and moouing in it selfe Psal. 42. 2. My soule thirsteth for God euen for the liuing God when shall I come and appeare before the presence of God Hebr. 3. 12. See that there be not at any time in any of you an euill heart to depart from the liuing God The diuine Nature is especially in perpetual operation by three attributes the which doe manifest the operation of God towards his creatures These are his Wisdome Will and Omnipotencie The wisdome or knowledge of God is that by the which God doth not by certaine notions abstracted from the things themselues but by his owne essence nor successiuely and by discourse of reason but by one eternall and immutable act of vnderstanding distinctly and perfectly know himselfe and all other things though infinite whether they haue beene or not Matth. 11.27 No man knoweth the Sonne but the Father nor the Father but the Sonne and he to whome the Sonne will reueale him Hebr. 4. 13. There is nothing created which is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and open to his eyes with whome we haue to doe Psal. 147.5 His wisdome is infinite Gods wisdome hath these
He is able perfectly to saue them that come to God by him seeing he euer liueth to make intercession for them Secondly according to his Deitie partly by applying the merit of his death partly by making request by his holy Spirit in the hearts of the Elect with sighes vnspeakable 1. Pet. 1.2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of the Father to the sanctification of the Spirit Rom. 8. â—6 The Spirit helpeth our infirmities for we know not what to pray as we ought but the Spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed We are not therefore to imagine or surmise that Christ prostrateth himselfe vpon his knees before his Fathers throne for vs neither is it necessarie seeing his very presence before his father hath in it the force of an humble petition The end of Christs intercession is that such as are iustified by his merits should by this meanes continue in the state of grace Now Christs intercession preserueth the elect in couering their continuall slipps infirmities and imperfect actions by an especiall and continuall application of his merits That by this meanes mans person may remaine iust and mans works acceptable to God 1. Ioh. 2.2 Hee is a reconciliation for our sinnes and not for ours onely but for the sinnes of the whole world 1. Pet. 2.5 Yee as liuely stones be made a spirituall house and holy Priesthood to offer vp spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ. Reuel 8.3,4 And another Angell came and stood before the altar hauing a golden censer and much odours was giuen vnto him that he should offer with the prayers of all Saints vpon the golden altar which is before the throne and tâ—â— smoke of the odors with the prayers of the Saints went vp before God out of the Angels hand Thus farre concerning Christs priesthood nowe follow his Propheticall and Regall offices His Propheticall office is that whereby he immediately from his Father renealeth his word and all the meanes of saluation comprised in the same Ioh. 1.18 The Son which is in the bosome of his father he hath declared vnto you Ioh. 8.26 Those things which I heare of my father I speake to the world Deut. 18.18 I will raise them vp a Prophet c. The word was first reuealed partly by visions by dreames by speech partly by the instinct and motion of the holy ghost Heb. 1.1 At sundry times in diuers manners God spake in old time to our Fathers the Prophets in these last daies he hath spoken to vs by his sonne 2. Pet. 1.21 Prophecie came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were mooued by the holy ghost The like is done ordinarily onely by the preaching of the word where the holy ghost doth inwardly illuminate the vnderstanding Luk. 24.45 Then opened he their vnderstanding that they might vnderstand the Scriptures v. 21.15 I I will giue you a month and wisdome where against all your aduersaries shall not bee able to speake nor resist Act. 16.14 Whose heart the Lord opened that shee attended on the things that Paul spake For this cause Christ is called the Doctor Lawegiuer and Counsellour of his Church Matth. 23.10 Be ye not called Dâ—ctors for one is your Doctor Iesus Christ. Iam. 4.12 There is one Lawgiuer which is able to saue and to destroy Esa. 9.6 He shall call his name Counsellour c. Yea he is the Apostle of our profession Heb. 3.1 The Angell of the couenant Malac. 3.1 And the Mediatour of the new couenant Heb. 9.15 Therefore the soueraigne authoritie of expouÌ„ding the Scripture only belongs to Christ and the Church hath onely the ministerie of iudgement and interpretation committed vnto her Christs Regall office is that whereby he distributeth his gifts and disposeth all things for the benefit of the elect Psal. 2. and 110.31.2 The Lord said vnto my Lord sit tâ—ou on my right hand till I make thine enimies thy footestoole The execution of Christs Regall office comprehendeth his exaltation Christs exaltation is that by which he after his humiliation was by little and little exalted to glorie and that in sundrie respects according to both his natures The exaltation of his diuine nature is an apparant declaration of his diuine properties in his humane nature without the least alteration thereof Rom. 1. 4. Declared mightily to be the sonne of God touching the spirit of sanctification by the resurrection from the dead Act. 2.36 God hath made him both lord Christ whome ye haue crucified The exaltation of his humanitie is the putting off from him his seruile coÌ„dition and all infirmities and the putting on of such habituall gifts which albeit they are created and finite yet they haue so great and so marueilous perfection as possibly can be ascribed to any creature The gifts of his minde are wisdome knowledge ioy and other vnspeakeable vertues of his bodie immortalitie strength agilitie brightnesse Philip. 3.21 Who shall change our vile bodies that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious body Math. 17.2 He was traÌ„sfigured before them his face did shine as the sunne and his cloathes were as white as the light Heb. 1.9 God euen thy God hath annointed the with the oyle of gladnes aboue thy fellows Eph. 1.20.22 Christs bodie although it be thus glorified yet is it still of a solide substaÌ„ce compassed about visible palpable and shall perpetually remaine in some certaine place Luk. 24.39 Behold my hands and my feete it is euen I touch me and see a spirit hath no flesh and bones as ye se me haue There be three degrees of Christs exaltation I. His resurrection wherein by his diuine power he subdued death and raised vp himselfe to eternall life 2. Cor. 13.4 Though he was crucified concerning his infirmitie yet liueth he through the power of God Matth. 28.6 Hee is not here for he is risen as he said Come see the place where the Lord was laid The ende of Christs resurrection was to shewe that his satisfaction by his passion and death was fully absolute For one onely sinne would haue detaiâ—ed the Mediatour vnder the dominion of death though he had fully satisfied for all the rest 1. Cor. 15.17 If Christ be not raised your faith is in vaine yee are yet in your sinnes Rom. 4.25 Who was deliuered to death for our sinnes and is risen againe for our iustification II. His ascension into heauen which is a true locall and visible translation of Christs humane nature from earth into the highest heauen of the blessed by the vertue power of his Deitie Act. 1.9 When he had spoken these things while they beheld he was taken vp for a cloud tooke him vp out of their sight and while they looked stedfastly towards heauen as he went beholde two men stood by theÌ„ in white apparell which also said Ye men of Galile why stand ye gazing into heauen this Iesus which is taken vp from you into heauen
vnto me with all your heart with fasting and prayer vers 13. Rent your hearts and not your garments and turne vnto the Lord your God for he is gratious and mercifull long â—uffering and of great kindnes that he might repent him of this euill vers 15. Blow the trumpet in Sion sanctifie a fast call a solemne assemblie vers 16. Gather the people sanctifie the Congregation gather the Elders assemble the children and those that sucke the breasts Let the bridegrome goe forth of his chamber and the bride out of her bride chamber vers 17. Let the Priests the ministers of the Lord weepe between the porch and the altar and let them say Spare thy people O God c. A fast is sometime priuate sometimes publike 2. Chron. 20.3 Iehosaphat feared and set himselfe to seeke the Lord and proclaimed a fast throughout all Iudah Hest. 4. 16. Fast ye for me and neither eate nor drinke for the space of three daies and nights I also and my maides will fast A fast is either for one day alone or for many daies together Each of them is as occasion serueth an abstinence from meate at dinner alone or supper alone or both dinner and supper Iudg. 20.23 The children of Israel had gone vp and wept before the Lord vnto the euening c. Dan. 10.3 I Daniel was in heauines for three weekes of daies I ate no pleasant bread neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth c. IV. Leagues of amitie among such as feare God according to his wordeâ— are lawfull as contracts in matrimonie league in warre especially if the warre be lawefull and without confidence in the power of man 2. Chro. 19.2 Mal. chap. 2. vers 11. To these may be added that couenant which the magistrate and people make among themselues and with God for the preseruation of Christian religion 2. Chr. 15.12 And they made a couenant to seeke the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart with all their soule c. v. 14. And they sware vnto the Lord with a loud voice and with shouting and with trumpets and with cornets CHAP. 22. Of the third commandement THe third commandement concerneth the glorifying of God in the affaires of our life without the solemne seruice of God Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine for the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine The Resolution Name This word properly signifieth Gods title here figuratiuely it is vsed for any thing whereby God may be knowne as men are by their names so it is vsed for his word workes iudgements Act. 9.15 He is an elect vessell to conuey my name among the Gentiles Psal. 8.1 O Lord our God how great is thy name through all the world which settest thy glory aboue the heauens Take That is vsurpe this word is translated from pretious things which may not be touched without licence And in trueth men which are no better then wormes creeping on the earth are vtterly vnworthie to take or as I may say touch the sacred name of God with minde or mouth neuerthelesse God of his infinite kindnes permitteth vs so to doe In vaine Namely for noâ—cause any matter and vpon each light and fonde occasion For The reason of this coÌ„mandement is taken from the penaltie annexed He that abuseth Gods name is guiltie of sinne before Gods iudgement seate and therefore is most miserable Psal. 32.1,2 Blessed is the man whose iniquitie is forgiuen and whose sinne is couered blessed is the man to whome God imputeth not sâ—nne Guiltlesse That is he shall not be vnpunished The negatiue part Thou shalt not bereaue God of that honour that is due vnto him Here is included each seuerall abuse of any thing that is vsed in the course of our liues out of the solemne seruice of God I. Periurie when a man performeth not that which he on his own accord sware to doe Math. 5. 33. Thou shalt not forsweare thy selfe but performe thine oath to the Lord. Periurie containeth in it foure capitall sinnes 1. Lying 2. False inuocation on Gods name because a forswearer calleth on God to confirme a lye 3. CoÌ„tempt of Gods threatnings that he will most grieuously punish periurie 4. A lye in his couenant with God for the forswearer bindeth himselfe to God and lieth vnto God II. To sweare that which is false This is to make god and the diuell both alike Ioh. 8.44 Ye are of your father the diuel c. when he speaketh a lie he speaketh of himselfe because he is a lyer and the father of lies Zach. 5.4 It shall enter into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name III. To sweare in common talke Matth. 5.37 Let your communication be yea yea and nay nay for whatsoeuer is more then these commeth of euill IV. To sweare by that which is no God Matth. 5. 34 35. But I say vnto you sweare not at all neither by heauen for it is Gods throne neither by the earth for it is his footstoole neither by Hierusalem for it is the citie of the great king 1. King 19.2 Iesabel sent a messenger to Elias saying Thus doe the gods and so let them deale with me if I by to morrow this time make not thy life as is the life of euery one of them Iere. 12.16 They taught my people to sweare by Baal Iere. 5.7 Thy sonnes forsake me and sweare by them which are no gods This place condemneth that vsuall swearing by the masse faith and such like Matth. 23.22 He that sweareth by heauen sweareth by Gods throne and him that sitteth thereon But for a man to sweare by Christs death wounds blood other parts of his is most horrible is as much as to crucifie Christ againe with the Iewes or account Christs members as God himselfe V. Blasphemie which is a reproch against God and the least speech that sauoureth of contempt to his maiestie Leuit. 24.15 16. Whosoeuer curseth his God shall beare his sinnes And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord shall be put to death 2. King 19.10 So shall ye say to the king of Iudah let not thy God deceiue thee in whome thou trustest saying Ierusalem shal not be giuen into the hand of the King of Ashur Aiax in the Tragedie hath this blasphemous speech that euery coward may ouercome if he haue God on his side as for him he can get the victorie without Gods assistance That slie taunt of the Pope is likewise blasphemous wherein he calleth himselfe the seruant of all Gods seruants when as in trueth he maketh himselfe Lord of Lords and God subiect to his vaine fantasie VI. Cursing our enemies as Goe with a vengeance or the diuel goe with thee Or our selues as I would I might neuer stirre or as God shall iudge my soule c. To this place we may referre the execrations of Iob 3. Ier. 15. VII To vse the name of God carelesly in our
of the image of a corruptible man c. 24. Wherefore God gaue them vp vnto their hearts lusts vnto vncleannes Yea this sinne is more hainous then theft Prou. 6.30 Men doe not despise a theefe when he stealeth to satisfie his soule when he is hungrie 32. But he that committeth adulterie with a woman is destitute of vnderstanding he that doth it destroyeth his owne soule Againe the adulterer breaketh the couenant of marriage which is Gods couenant Prou. 2.17 Which forsaketh the guide of her youth and forgetteth the couenant of her God Adulterers dishonest their owne bodies 1. Cor. 6.18 Flee fornication euery sinne that a man doth is without the bodie but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his owne bodie And bereaue their neighbours of a great and vnrecouerable benefit namely of chastity As for the children which are begotten in this sort they are shut out from that preheminence which they otherwise might obtaine in the congregation Deut. 23.2 A bastard shall not enter into the Congregation of the Lord euen to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the Lord. He maketh his familie a stewes as appeareth in Dauid whose adultery was punished by Absoloms lying with his fathers cōcubines 2. Sam. 16.21 Achitophel said to Absolom Goe to thy fathers concubines which he hath left to keepe the house Iob. 31.9 If mine heart haue beene deceiued by a woman or if I haue laide waite at the doore of my neighbour let my wife grind vnto another man and let other men bowe downe vpon her Mans posteritie feeleth the smart of this sinne Iob. 31. 12. This adulterie is a fire that shall deuoure to destruction and which shall roote out all mine increase To conclude though this sinne be committed neuer so closely yet God will reueale it Numb 5. from the 12. verse to the 23. And it vsually hath one of these two as companions namely dulnesse of heart or a marueilous horror of conscience Hose 4.11 Whordome and wine take away their heart As for the Patriarkes Polygamie or marrying of many wiues albeit it cannot be defended yet it may be excused either because it serued to the enlarging of the number of mankind when there were but fewe or at the least to the propagation of the Church of God VII With man and wife They abuse their libertie if they know each other so long as the woman is in her flowers Ezech. 22.10 In thee haue they discouered their fathers shame in thee haue they vexed her that was polluted in her flowers Leuit. 18.19 Thou shalt not goe vnto a woman to vncouer her shame as long as she is put apart for her disease Ezek. 8.6 If a man hath not lien with a menstruous woman Ambros. lib. de Philos. which Augustine citeth lib. 2. contra Iulian saith that he committeth adulterie with his wife who in the vse of wedlocke hath neither regard of seemelines nor honestie Hierome in his 1. book contra Iulianum saith A wise man ought to rule his wife in iudgement not in affection He will not giue the bridle vnto headstrong pleasure not headily company with his wife Nothing saith he is more shamelesse then to make a strumpet of his wife VIII Nocturnall pollutions which arise of immoderate diet or vnchaste cogitations going before in the day Deutr. 23.10 Onans sinne Gen. 38.8 was not much vnlike these IX Effeminate wantonnesse wherby occasions are sought to stir vp lust Galat. 5.19 The workes of the flesh are manifest which are adulterie fornication vncleannesse wantonnesse Of this kind are 1. eyes full of adulterie 2. Pet. 3.14 Hauing eies full of adulterie and that cannot cease to sinne 2. Idlenes 2. Sam. 11. 2. When it was euening tide Dauid arose out of his bed and walked vpon the roofe of the kings palace and from the roofe he sawe a woman washing her selfe and the woman was very beutiful to looke vpon 3. And Dauid sent and inquired what woman it was and one said Is not this Bethsheba the daughter of Elian wife to Vriah the Hittite Then Dauid sent messengers and tooke her away and shee came vnte him and he lay with her 3. Riotous and lasciuious attire 1. Tim. 2.9 The women shall array themselues in comely apparell with shamefastnes and modestie not with broydered haire or gold or pearles or costly apparell but as becommeth women that professe the feare of God with goodworkes Esay 3.16 Because the daughters of Zion are hautie and walke with stretched out necks and with wandring eies walking and minsing as they goe and making a tinkeling with their feete 17. Therefore shall the Lord make the heades of the daughters of Zion balde and the Lord shall discouer their secret parts 18. In that day shall the Lord take away the ornament of the slippers and the caules and the round tyers 19. The sweete balles and the bracelets and the bonnets 20. The tyers of the head and the sloppes and the headbands and the tablets and the earings 21. The rings and the mufflers 22. The costly apparell and the vailes and the wimples and the crisping pinnes 23. And the glasses and the fine linnen and the hoodes and the launes And no maruaile if the Prophet be so sharp against excessiue and wanton apparell for this is I. a lauish and prodigall wasting of the benefits of God which might well be employed vpon better vses II. It is a testimonie and as it were the cognisance or ensigne of pride whereby a man would haue himselfe in greater reputation then an other III. It is a note of great idlenesse and slouthfulnesse For commonly such as bestow much time in tricking and trimming themselues vp doe quite neglect other busines of all things can not away with paines IV. It argueth leuitie in deuising euery day some new fashion or imitating that which others deuise V. It maketh a confusion of such degrees and callings as God hath ordained when as men of inferiour degree and calling cannot be by their attyre discerned from men of higher estate 4. Fulnesse of bread and meate which prouoke lust Ezech. 16.45 This was the iniquitie of thy sister Sodome pride fulnesse of bread and idlenesse was in her and in her daughters Luk. 16.19 There was a certaine rich man which was cloathed in purple and fine linnen and fared well and delicately euery day Rom. 13.13 Walke honestly as in the day time not in gluttonie and drunkennesse neither in chambring and wantonnesse 5. Corrupt dishonest and vnseemely talke 1. Cor. 15.33 Erre not euill talke corrupteth good manners Such are vaine loue-songs ballades enterludes and amorous bookes This is the thing we are carefully to shunne in the reading of Poets yet so as mariners doe in nauigation who forsake not the sea but decline and flie from the rockes 6. Lasciuious representations of loue matters in Playes and Comedies Eph. 5.3,4 Fornication and all vncleannesse let it not once be named among you as it becommeth Saints
Christian mans effectuall calling The temptation is the enterprise of the diuell to blindfold mans minde and to harden his heart least the word of GOD should worke in him to saluation Matth. 13.4 And as he sowed some fell by the waie side and the fowles came and deuoured thē vp 5. And some fell vpon stonie ground where they had not much earth and anon they sprang vp because they had no depth of earth 6. And when the Sunne rose vp they wer parched and for lacke of rooting withered awaie 7. And some fell among thornes and the thornes sprung vp and choked them 19. Whensoeuer a man heareth the word of the kingdome and vnderstandeth it not the euill one commeth and catcheth away that which was sowne in his heart and this is he which hath receiued the seede by the way side A resistance in those that are called is wrought by the spirit of God that causeth men to lend their eares to heare and doth ingraffe the word in their hearts that the immortall seede of regeneration may spring in them Psal. 40.6 Ioh. 6.44 Act. 16.14 Iam. 1. 21. Wherefore lay apart all filthinesse and superfluitie of maliciousnesse and receiue with meeknes the word that is graffed in you which is able to saue your soules 1. Pet. 1.22 Seeing your soules are purified in obeying the truth through the spirit to loue brotherly without faining loue one another with a pure heart feruently 1. Ioh. 3.9 Whosoeuer is borne of god sinneth not for his seede remaineth in him neither can he sinne because he is borne of god A resistance in those that are to be called is when in a sincere heart they doe ioyne the word which they haue heard with faith Luk. 8.15 But that which fell in good ground are they which with an honest and good heart heare the word and keepe it and bring forth fruit with patience Heb. 4.2 Here are certaine preseruatiues to be noted I. Premeditation of the power and vse of the word Eccles. 4.17 Take heede to thy feete when thou entrest into the house of the Lord and be more neere to heare then to giue the sacrifice of fooles for they knowe not that they doe euill Chap. 5.1 Be not rash with thy mouth nor let thine heart be hastie to vtter a thing before god for God is in the heauen and thou art on the earth therefore let thy wordes be few II. Diligent attention of the minde Act. 16.14 III. An hungring desire of the heart Ioh. 7.37 Nowe in the last and great day of the feast Iesus stood and cried saying If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke IV. Integritie of life Psal. 26.6 V. The casting away of euil affectiōs Iam. 1.22 And be ye doers of the word and not hearers onely deceiuing your owne soules VI. The inward consent and agreement of the heart with the word preached Act. 2.37 VII An hiding of the word in the heart least we should sinne Psal. 119.11 I haue hid thy word in mine heart that I might not sinne against thee VIII A trēbling at the presence of God in the assemblie of the Church Esay 66.2 For all these things hath mine hand made and all these things haue been saith the Lord and to him will I looke euen to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my words Act. 10.33 Then sent I for thee immediatly and thou hast well done to come nowe therefore are we all here present before God to heare all things that are commanded thee of God The fall is either a coldnesse in receiuing the word and a neglect thereof or else a falling into errours The remedie for this is subiection which must be made to the iudgement and censure of the brethren and ministers Reuelat. 3.15 I knowe thy works that thou art neither cold nor hote I would thou werest cold or hote Gal. 6.2.1 Tim. 1.20 Of whome is Hymeneus and Alexander whome I haue deliuered vnto Satan that they might learne not to blaspheme CHAP. 42. Of the second Assault THe second assault is concerning faith The temptation is an illusion which the diuell casteth into the hearts of godly men as when he saith Thou art not of the number of the elect thou art not iustified thou hast no faith thou must certenly be condemned for thy sinnes Mat. 4.3 Then came to him the tempter and said If thou be the Sonne of God command that these stones be made bread Helpes which the deuil abuseth for the strengthening of such illusions are these I. Aduersitie as dangers losses persecutions iealousie grieuous offences c. Psal. 73.12 Loe these are the wicked yet prosper they alway and increase in riches 13. Certainely I haue clensed mine heart in vaine washed mine hands in innocency Iob. 13.23 How many are mine iniquities sinnes shew me my rebelliō and my sinne 24. Wherefore hidest thou thy face and takest me for thine enemie 25. Wilt thou breake a leafe driuen to and fro and wilt thou pursue the drie stubble II. The remembrance of sins past Iob. 13.26 For thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possesse the iniquities of my youth III. A feeling of death euen alreadie at hand The resistance is made by a true faith applying Christ with all his merits particularly after this manner I assuredly beleeue that I shall not be condemned but that I am elected and iustified in Christ and am out of all doubt that all my sinnes are pardoned Esai 53.11 Hee shall see the trauaile of his soule and shall be satisfied by his knowledge shall my righteous seruant iustifie many for he shal beare their iniquities Rom. 8.38 For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come 39. Nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. The preseruatiue is in temptation not to behold faith but the obiect of faith which is Christ. Philip. 3.12 Not as though I had alreadie attained vnto it either were already perfect but I follow if that I may comprehend that for whose sake also I am comprehended of Christ Iesus 13. One thing I doe I forget that which is behinde indeauour my selfe to that which is before 14. And follow hard toward the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus Ioh. 3.14 And as Moses lift vp the Serpent in the wildernes so must the sonne of man be lift vp that he that beleeueth in him c. The falling is doubtfulnes and distrust of our election and of Gods mercie Psal. 77.6 I called to remembrance my song in the night I communed with mine owne heart and my spirit searched diligently 7. Will the Lord absent himselfe for euer and will he shew no more fauour 8. Is his mercy cleane gone for euer doth his promise faile for euermore So Dauid
mercie in that he pardoned their sinne for the merites of his Sonne Eph. 1. 18. That the eies of your vnderstanding may be lightned that ye may knowe what the hope is of his calling and what the riches of his glorious inheritance is in his Saints 19. And what is the exceeding greatnes of his power towardes vs which beleeue according to the working of his mightie power 20. Which he wrought in Christ. Chap. 3.18 That ye may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height 19. And to knowe the loue of Christ. All these things the Lord himselfe hath thus decreed and in his good time will accomplish them to the glorious praise of his Name Pro. 16.4 The Lord hath made all things for his owne sake yea euen the wicked for the daie of euill CHAP. 50. Concerning the order of the causes of saluation according to the doctrine of the Church of Rome THere are two things requisite to obtained saluation Predestination and the Execution thereof Predestination is a foreordaining of the reasonable creature to grace in this life glory in the life to come Sebast. Cattaneus Enchirid. tract 1. chap. last This in regard of the first effects thereof which are vocation election and ordination to eternall life hath the cause of it in God namely his will but in regard of the last effect which is the execution of such an ordinance and the obtaining of eternall life it hath the cause of it from man because according to the common opinion Gods predestination is by reason of workes foreseene in men that is God doth therefore predestinate or reiect some man because he foreseeth that he will well or badly vse his grace But for the more euident declaration of this these seuen conclusions must be set downe I. The Predestination and Reprobation of God do not constraine or inforce any necessitie vpon the will of man II. God hath predestinated all men that is he hath appointed and disposed all men so as they might obtaine eternall saluation III. Man is neither by necessitie nor chance saued or condemned but voluntarily IV. God hath predestinated some other hath he reiected V. Those whome God hath predestinated by his absolute predestination which can not be lost they shall infallibly die in grace but they which are predestinate by that predestination which beeing according to preâ—ent iustice may be lost by some mortall sinne which followeth are not infallibly saued but oftentimes such are condemned and loose their crowne and glory Hence ariseth that position of theirs that he which is iustified may be a reprobate perish eternally Torrensis Aug. Confess 2. booke 4. chap. 20. Sect. Therfore predestination is not certaine seeing it may be lost VI. God alone doth know the certaine and set number of them which are predestinate VII There is one set number of them which are predestinate or reprooued and that can neither be increased nor diminished The execution of Predestination is either in infants or those of yeres of discretion Concerning infants the merite of Christ is appliyed vnto them by baptisme rightly administred so that whatsoeuer in originall corruption may truely and properly be accounted for sinne it is not onely as I may say not pared away or not imputed but vtterly taken away For there is nothing that God can hate in such as are renued Concil Trid. 5. sect 5. Can. Neuertheles they are vrged to confesse that there remaineth yet in such as are baptized concupiscence or the reliques of sinn The which seeing it is left in men for them to wrestle withall it hath not power to hurt such as yeeld not vnto it The execution of predestination in such as are of riper yeares hath sixe degrees The first is vocation whereby men not for their owne merits but by Gods preuenting grace through Christ are called to turne vnto God The second is a preparation to righteousnesse whereby men through the inherent power of free-will do apply themselues to iustification after that the same power is stirred vp by the holy Ghost For free-will is onely somewhat diminished and not extinguished and therefore so soone as the holy Ghost toucheth and inlighteneth the heart it worketh togither with the same spirit freely assenting vnto the same This preparation hath seuen degreesâ— Biel. 4. booke 14. dist 2. quest The first is faith which is a knowledge and an assent whereby men agree that those things are true which are deliuered concerning God and his will reuealed in the word of God This is the foundation of iustification and prepareth the heart because it stirreth vp free-will that it may affect the heart with those motions by which it is prepared to iustification I. The act of faith is to apprehend the ouglines of sin the wages therof II. After this followeth a feare of Gods anger and of hell fire III. Then begin men to dislike and in some sort to detest sinne From these ariseth a certaine disposition which hath annexed vnto it the merite of congruitie yet not immediate nor sufficient but imperfect IV. At the length faith returneth to the contemplation of Gods mercies beleeueth that God is readie to forgiue sinnes by the infusion of charitie into those which are before sufficiently prepared and disposed V. Out of this contemplation proceedeth the act of hope whereby faith beginneth to desire and to waite on God as the chiefest good VI. Out of this act of hope ariseth loue whereby God is loued aboue all things in the world VII After this loue followeth a new dislike and detestation of sinne not so much in regard of feare of the punishment in hell fire as in regard of the offence of God who is simply loued more then all other things VIII After all these followeth a purpose of amendment of life and here comes in the merit of congruitie that is sufficient or els the immediate sufficient and last disposition before the infusion of grace The third degree of Predestination is the first iustification wherby men of vniust are made iust not only through the remission of their sinnes but also by a sanctificatioÌ„ of the inward maÌ„ by his voluÌ„tary receiuing of grace gifts The efficient cause of this iustification is the mercy of God and the meritorious passion of our Sauiour Christ whereby he purchased iustification for men The instrumentall cause is baptisme The formall cause is not that iustice which was inherent in Christ but which he infuseth into man and that is especially hope and charitie The fourth degree is the second iustification wherby men are of iust made more iust the cause hereof is faith ioyned with good workes It is possible for such as are renued to keepe the commaundements And therefore it is false that a iust man committeth so much as a veniall sinne in his best actions much lesse that he deserueth eternall death for the same The fift degree is the reparation of a sinner by the
to beleeue in this one God is in effect thus much I. To knowe and acknowledge him as he hath reuealed himselfe in his worde II. To beleeue him to bee my God III. From mine heart to put all mine affiance in him To this purpose Christ saith This is eternall life to knowe thee the onely God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ. Nowe the knowledge here meant is not a bare or generall knowledge for that the deuils haue but a more speciall knowledge wherby I know God not onely to be God but also to be my God and thereupon doe put my confidence in him And thus much of the meaning of the first wordes I beleeue in God c. Nowe followe the duties which may bee gathered hence First of all if we are bound to beleeue in God then we are also bound to take notice of our naturall vnbeleefe whereby we distrust God to checke our selues for it and to striue against it Thus dealt the father of the child that had a dumme spirit Lord saith he I beleeue Lord helpe mine vnbeleefe And Dauid Why art thou cast downe my soule and wâ—y art thou so diâ—quieted in me wait on God And that which our Sauiour Christ saide once to Peter men should daiely speake to themselues O thou of littlâ— faith why hast thou doubted But some may say wherein standes our vnbeleefe Answere It standes in two thinges I. In distrusting the goodnesse of God that is in giuing too litle or no affiance to him or in putting affiance in the creature For the first few men will abide to be told of their distrust in God but indeede it is a common and riâ—e corruption and though they soothe themselues neuer so yet their vsuall dealings proclaime their vnbeleefe Goe through all places it shall be found that scarse one of a thousand in his dealings makes conscience of a lie a great part of men gets their wealth by fraud and oppression and all kinde of vniust and vnmercifull dealing What is the cause that they can doe so Alas alas if there be any faith it is pinned vp in some by-corner of the heart and vnbeleefe beares sway as the lord of the house Againe if a man had as much wealth as the world comes to he could finde in his heart to wish for an other and if he had two worlds he would be casting for the third if it might be compassed the reason hereof is because men haue not learned to make God their portion and to stay their affections on him which if they could doe a meane portion in temporall blessings would be enough Indeede these and such like persons will in no wise â—eelde that they doe distrust the Lord vnlesse at some time they be touched in conscience with a sense and feeling of their sinnes and be throughly humbled for the same but the truth is that distrust of Gods goodnesse is a generall and a mother-sinne the ground of all other sinnes and the very first and principall sinne in Adams fall And for the second part of vnbeleefe which is an affiance in the creatures read the whole booke of God and we shall finde it a common and vsuall sinne in all sorts of men some putting their trust in riches some in strength some in pleasures some placing their felicitie in one sinne some in an other When King Asa was sicke he put his whole trust in the Phisitians and not in the Lord. And in our daies the common practise is when crosses and calamities fall then there is trotting out to that wise man to this cunning woman to this sorcerer to that wizzard that is from God to the deuill and their counsell is receiued and practised without any bones making And this shewes the bitter roote of vnbeleefe and confidence in vaine creatures let men smoothe it ouer with goodly tearmes as long as they will In a word there is no man in the world be he called or not called if he looke narrowly vnto himselfe he shall finde his heart almost filled with manifold doubtings and distrustings whereby he shall feele himselfe euen carried away from beleeuing in God Therefore the dutie of euery man is that will truly say that hâ— beleeues in God to labour to see his owne vnbeleefe and the fruits thereof in his life As for such as say they haue no vnbeleefe nor feele none more pitifull is their case For so much the greater is their vnbeleefe Secondly considering that we professe our selues to beleeue in God we must euery one of vs learne to know God As Paul saith How can they beleeue in him of whome they haâ—e not heard and how can they heare without a preacher therefore none can beleeue in God but he must first of all heare and be taught by the ministerie of the word to know God aright Let this be remembred of young and old It is not the pattering ouer of the beleefe for a praier that will make a man a good beleeuer but God must be knowne of vs and acknowledged as he hath reuealed himselfe partly in his word and partly in his creatures Blinde ignorance and the right vse of the Apostles Creede will neuer stand togither Therefore it standes men in hande to labour and take paines to get knoweledge in religion that knowing God aright they may come steadfastly to beleeue in him and truely make confession of their faith Thirdly because wee beleeue in God therefore another dutie is to denie our selues vtterly and to become nothing in our selues Our Sauiour Christ requires of vs to become as little children if wee would beleeue The begger depends not on the releefe of others till hee finde nothing at home and till our hearts bee purged of selfe-loue and pride wee cannot depend on the fauour and goodnesse of God Therefore hee that would trust in God must first of all be abased and confounded in himselfe and in regard of himselfe be out of all hope of attaining to the least sparke of the grace of God Fourthly in that wee beleeue in God and therefore put our whole trust and assurance in him we are taught that euery man must committe his bodie his soule goods life yea all that he hath into the handes of God and to his custodie So Paul saith I am not ashamed of my sufferings for I knowe whome I haue beleeued and am perswaded that he is able to keepe that which I haue committed vnto him against that day A worthie saying for what is the thing which Paul committed vnto the Lord it was his owne soule and the eternall saluation thereof But what mooues him to trust God surely his perswasion whereby he knewe that God would keepe it And Peter saith Let them that suffer according to the will of God committe their soules to him in well doing as vnto a faithfull creatour Looke as one friende laieth downe a thing to be kept of another so must a man giue that he hath to the
head in pursuing his father theÌ„ Dauid wept and cried O my sonne Absolon my sonne Absolon would God I had died with thee Absolon my sonne And so it is with God our heauenly father when his children sinne against him and thereby loose his loue and fauour and fall from grace he forsakes them but how farre Surely he shewes signes of anger for their wickednes and yet indeede his loue remaines towards them still and this is a true conclusion the grace of God in the adoption of the elect is vnchaÌ„geable and he that â—s the child of God can neuer fall away wholly or finally On the contrarie that is a bad and comfortlesse opinion of the Church of Rome which holdeth that a man may be iustified before God and yet afterward by a mortall sinne finally fall from grace and be condemned Fourthly the childe of God that takes God the father for his father may freely come into the presence of God and haue libertie to pray vnto him We know it is a great priuiledge to come into the chamber of presence before an earthly prince and fewe can alwaies haue this prerogatiue though they be great men yet the kings owne sonne may haue free entrance and speake freely vnto the king himselfe because he is his sonne Now the children of God haue more prerogatiue then this for they may come into the presence not of an earthly king but of Almightie God the King of kings and as they are the sonnes of God in Christ so in him they may freely speake vnto God their father by praier And this ouerthrowes the doctrine of such as be of the Church of Rome which teach and hold that a man must come to speake to God by by praier through the intercession of Saints for say they the presence of God is so glorious that we may not be so bold as of our selues to speake vnto him but needes must haue the intercession of others Lastly God will prouide for all his Church and children all things needefull both for their bodies and soules so our Sauiour Christ bids his disciples take no thought what they should eate or what they should drinke or wherewith they should be clothed adding this reason for your heauenly Father knoweth all your wants And if we take thought it must be moderate and not distrustfull it is a part of the fathers dutie to prouide for his familie and children and not the children for the father Now shall an earthly father haue this care for his children and shall not our heauenly father much more prouide for those that feare and loue him Nay marke further in Gods Church there be many hypocrites which receiue infinite benefits from God by reason of his elect children with whome they liue and we shall see this to be true that the wicked man hath euer fared better for the godly mans cause Sodome and Gomorrha receiued many benefits by reason of righteous Lot and when the Lord was purposed to destroy Sodom he was faine to pull Lot forth of the citie for the text saith the Angel of the Lord could not doe any thing till he was come out of it So also in Pauls dangerous voyage towardes Rome all the men in it fared better for Pauls company for the Lord tolde Paul by an angel that there should be no losse of any mans life for the Lord had giuen to him all that sailed with him And vndoubtedly if it were not for some fewe that feare God he would powre downe his vengeance vpon many nations and kingdomes there is such excesse of wickednesse in all sorts Againe if the Lord doe thus carefully prouide for his children all kinde of benefits what a wonderful wickednesse is this for men to get their liuing by vngodly meanes as vsury carding dicing and such like exercises If a man were perswaded that God were his father and would prouide sufficiently both for his bodie and soule so that vsing lawfull meanes he should eueâ— haue enough out of all doubt he would neuer after the fashion of the world vse vnlawefull and prophane meanes to get a liuing But this prooueth that howesoeuer such men say God is their father yet indeede they denie him And thus much of 〈◊〉 tiâ—le Father the first thing whereby the first person is described Nowe followeth the second point namely his attribute of omnipotencie in the word almightie And whereas the father is said to be almightie it is not so to bâ— vnderstood as though the Sonne were not almightie or the holy ghost noâ—â—lmightie for euery propertie and attribute saue the personal properties is câ—mmoÌ„ to all the three persons For as God the father doth impart his godhead vnto the sonne and to the holy ghost so doth he communicate the proprietâ—es of the godhead to them also God is omnipotent two waies I. Because hee is able to doe whatsoeuer hee will II. Because he is able to doe more then he will doe For the first that god is able to doe whatsoeuer he will Dauid saith Our God is in heauen and he doth whatsoeuer he will for there is nothing that can hinder God but as he willeth so euery thing is done Secondly that God can doe more then he willeth to be done it is plaine where Iohn Baptist saith God is able of these stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham for though God can doe thus much yet he will not doe it So likewise when Christ was betraied the Father could haue giueÌ„ him more then 12. legions of angels to haue deliuered him out of their handes but yet he would not the like may be said of many other things The father is was able to haue created another world yea a thousand worldes but he would not nor will not And likewise Christ being vpon the crosse was able at their bidding to haue come downe and saued himselfe from death but he would not and therefore this is true the Lord can doe any thing that he willeth to bee done actually yea and more then he will But some will say God can not doe some things which man can doe as God cannot lie nor denie himselfe and therefore he is not omnipotent Answere Although some haue thought that God coulde doe euen these things and that he did them not because hee would not yet wee must knowe and beleeue that God can neither lie nor denie himselfe indeede man can doe both but these and many other such things if God could doe them hee could not bee God God indeede can doe all things which shewe foorth his glory and maiestie but such things as are against his nature he cannot doeâ— as for example God can not sinne and therefore cannot liâ— and because he cannot doe these things for this very cause he is omnipotent for these and such like are workes of impotencie which if god could doe he should euen by his owne word be iudged impotent Secondly he cannot doe that which implies contradiction
as when a thing is to make it at the same time to be and not to be as when the Sunne doth shine to make it at the same instant to shine and not to shine And therefore false is the doctrine of the church which in their transubstaÌ„tiation make the bodie of Christ whose essentiall propertie is to bee onely in one place at once to be circumscribed and not to be circumscribed to be in one place and not to be in one place And thus much for the meaning Nowe follow the duties whereunto wee are mooued by this doctrine of Gods omnipotencie First whereas God the father is said to be almightie we are taught true humiliation Humble your selues vnder the mightie hand of God saith Peter where he giueth an exhortation to humilitie and alleadgeth the cause because God is almightie To make this more plaine Euery one of vs was borne in sinne by nature we are most wretched in our selues now what an one is God Surely he is able to doe whatsoeuer he will yea and more then he will and is able to destroy such as rebell against him euery moment Therefore our dutie is to cast downe our selues for our sinnes in his presence This true humiliation was that which our Sauiour Christ would haue brought the younge man in the Gospell vnto when hee bade him goe sell all that he had and giue to the poore Therefore whosoeuer thou art take heed thou must for if thou runne on in thy wickednesse and still rebell against God it is a thousand to one at length he will destroy thee For he is an almightie God and able to doe whatsoeuer hee will his hand is mightie it boots not a man to striue with him for hee was neuer yet ouermastered and for this cause wee must needs â—ast down our selues vnder his hand It is a fearefull thing saith the holy Ghost to fall into the hands of the liuing God therefore if wee would eâ—cape his heauie and terrible displeasure the best way for vs is to abase our selues and be ashamed to followe our sinnes Christ biddeth vs not to feare him that is able to kill the body and can goe no further but wee must feare him that is able to cast both bodie and soule into hell fire Example of this we haue in Dauid who when he was persecuted by his owne sonne Absolon he said vnto the Lord If he thus say I haue no delight in thee behold here I am let him doe to me as seemeth good in his eies But some will say I will liue a little longer in my sinnes in lying pride Sabbath breaking in swearing dicing gaming and wantonnesse for God is mercifull and in my old age I will repent Ans. Well soothe not thy selfe but marke vsually when God holds backe his hand for a season he doth as it were fetch a more mightie blowe for the greater confusion of a rebellious sinner therefore humble submit and cast downe thy selfe before God and doe not striue against him his hand is mightie and will ouerthrow thee Though thou hadst all learning wisdome might riches c. yet as Christ said to the younge man one thing is wanting that thou shouldest bee humbled and vntill thou bee humbled nothing is to bee looked for but Gods iudgement for sinne Secondly seeing God is almightie we must tremble and feare at all his iudgements we must stand in awe quake and quiuer at them as the poore childe doth when he seeth his father come with the rod. Example of this we haue often in Gods word as when the sonnes of Aaron offered straunge fire before the Lord he sent fire from heauen and burned them vp And though Aaron was very sorry for his sonnes yet when Moses told him that the Lord would be glorified in all that came neere him then the text saith Aaron helde his peace So also we read that the Apostles reprooued Peter for preaching vnto the Gentiles but when Peter had expounded the things in order which he had seene then they held their peace and glorified God As also Dauid saith I held my tongue O Lord because thou didst it Isaiah saieth In hope silence is true fortitude If a man be in trouble he must hope for deliuerance and be quiet and patient at Gods iudgements But the practise of the world is flat contrarie For men are so farre from trembling at them that they vse to pray to god that plagues curses and vengeance may light vpon them and vpon their seruants and childreÌ„ Nowe the Lord being a mighty God often doth answerably bring his iudgements vpon them Againe many caried with impatiencie wish themselues hanged or drowned which euils they thinke shal neuer befall them yet at the length God doth in his iustice bring such punishments vpon them according as they wished And which is more in all ages there haue bene some which haue scorned and mocked at Gods iudgements Hereof we had not far hence a most fearefull example One beeing with his companion in a house drinking on the Lords day when he was readie to depart thence there was great lightening and thunder whereupon his fellow requested him to stay but the man mocking and iesting at the thunder and lightning said as report was it was nothing but a knaue cooper knocking on his tubbes come what woulde hee would goe and so went on his iourney but before hee came halfe a mile from the house the same hand of the Lord which before he had mocked in a crack of thunder stroke him about the girdlestead that he fell downe starke deade Which example is worthy our remembrance to put vs in mind of Gods heauy wrath against those which scorne his iudgements for our dutie is to tremble and feare and it were greatly to be wished that wee coulde with open eye beholde the terriblenesse and fearefulnesse of Gods iudgements it would make a man to quake and to leaue off sinne If a man passe by some high and daungerous place in the night when hee cannot see hee is not affraide but if yee bring him backe againe in the day and let him see what a steepe and dangerous way hee came hee will not be perswaded to passe the same way againe for any thing so it is in sinning for men liuing in ignorance and blindenesse practise any wickednesse and doe not care for Gods iudgements but when God of his goodnesse bringeth them backe and openeth their eies to see the downfall to the pit of hell and the iudgements of God due to their sinnes then they say they will neuer sinne as they haue done but become new men and walke in the way to eternall life Thirdly we are taught by the Apostle Paul that if wee be to doe any duty to our brethren as to releeue them wee must doe it with chearfulnesse for he laboureth to perswade the Corinthians to cheerefull liberalitie and the reason of his perswasion is because God is able
to make all grace to abound towardes them Where also this dutie is taught vs that seeing God is omnipotent and therefore able to make vs abound therefore wee must giue cheerefully to our poore brethren which want Fourthly whereas there are many in euery place which haue liued long in their sinnes euen from their cradle some in wantonnes some in drunkennes some in swearing some in idlenesse and such like out of this place to all such there is a good lesson namely that euery one of them doe nowe become new men and repent of all their sinnes for all their life past For marke what Paul saith of the Iewes which are cutte off from Christ through vnbeleefe and haue so continued in hardnesse of heart and desperat malice against him almost 16. hundreth yeares If saith he they abide not still in vnbeleefe they may bee grafted into their oliue againe and his reason is this because God is able to graft them in againe Euen so though wee haue liued many yeares in sinne and sure it is a daungerous and fearefull case for a man to liue 20.30 or 40. yeares vnder the power of the diuell yet wee must knowe that if wee will nowe liue a newe life forsake all our sinnes and turne to God wee may be receiued to grace and be made a branch of the true oliue though we haue borne the fruits of the wilde oliue all our life long But some will obiect that they haue no hope of Gods fauour because they haue beene so grieuous sinners and continued in them so long Ans. But knowe it whosoeuer thou art God is able to graft thee in and if thou repent he will receiue thee to his loue and fauour This must be obserued of all but especially of such as are olde in yeares and yet remaine ignorant without knowledge they must turne to the Lord by repentance otherwise if they continue still profane and impenitent they must knowe this that their damnation comes post hast to meete them and they to it And thus much for the duties Nowe followe the consolations which Gods Church reape from this that God the father is omnipotent First the wonderfull power of God serueth to strengthen vs in praier vnto God for hee that will pray truely must onely pray for those things for which he hath warrant in Gods word all our prayers must bee made in faith and for a man to praie in faith it is hard therefore a speciall meanes to strengthen vs herein is the mightie power of God This was the ground and stay of the leper whom our Sauiour Christ clensed Lord saith he if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane And in the Lords praier when our Sauiour Christ hath taught vs to make sixe petitions in the end he giueth vs a reason or motiue to induce vs to stand vpon and to waite for the benefits before craued in these wordes Thine is the kingdome thine is the power c. Secondly hence wee learne this comfort that all the gates of hell shall neuer bee able to preuaile against the least member of Christ. I doe not say they shall neuer be able to assault or tempt them for that may be but they shal neuer ouercome them How will some say may we be resolued of this I aunswer By reason of faith for if a Christian man do beleeue that God the father and in Christ his father is almightie no enemie shall euer be able to preuaile against him So S. Iohn reasoneth Litle children ye are of God haue ouercome them that is all false teachers because greater is he that is in you that is Christ Iesus by his holy spirit who is God and therefore almightie then he that is in the world that is the spirit of satan therefore you neede not to feare So Dauid compareth himselfe to a silly sheepe and saith Though I should walke through the valley of the shadow of death that is as it were in the mouth of the lyon yet I will feare none euill why so because the Lord is with him thy rodde saith he and thy staffe comfort me Thus much for the benefits Now whereas it is said the first person is a Father as also Almightie ioyne these two togither and hence will arise singular benefits and instructions First whereas we are taught to confesse that the first person is a Father Almightie we and euery man must learne to haue experience in himselfe of the mightie power of this almightie father Why will some say that is nothing for the deuill and all the damned soules feele the power of the Almightie True indeede they feele the power of God namely as he is an almightie Iudge condemning them but they feele not the power of an almightie father this is the point whereof we must indeauour to haue experience in our selues Paul prayeth that the God of our Lord Iesus Christ the father of glorie would giue vnto the Ephesians the spirit of wisedome to see what is the exceeding greatnes of his power in them which beleeue according to the working of his mightie power which he wrought in Christ. Which place must be considered for here the Apostle would haue vs haue such a speciall manifestation of Gods power in our selues like to that which he did once shew forth in Christ. But how did Christ see and finde the power of God as he was manâ— Answer Diuers waies I. On the crosse he died the first death which is the separation of bodie and soule and he suffered the sorrowes of the second death For in his soule he bare the whole wrath of God and all the pangs of hell and after was buried and laide in the graue where death triumphed ouer him for the space of three daies Nowe in this extremitie God did shewe his power in that he raised Christ from death to life And looke as his power was manifested in Christ the head so must it be manifested in all his members for euery man hath his graue which is naturall sinne and corruption which we drawe from our first parents and looke as a man lies dead in the graue and can mooue neither hand nor foote so euery man by nature lyeth dead in sinne Now as God did shew his power in raising Christ from death so euery one must labour to haue this knowledge and experience in himselfe of the mightie power of God in raising him from the graue of sinne to newnesse of life For thus Paul makes a speciall request that he might know Christ and the vertue of his resurrection that is that he might feele in himselfe that power whereby Christ was raised from death to life to raise him also from the bondage of his sinnes to a newe life more and more Furthermore when Christ was vpon the crosse and all the gates of hell were open against him then did he vanquish Satan he bruised the serpents head and as Paul saith he spoyled principalities and powers
can take is this he is comming to iudgement let vs therefore meete him and fal downe before him and humble our selues vnder his mightie hand And the holy Ghost by the Prophet would mooue the people to meete God by serious repentance by a reason framed thus If God who is their iudge be able to create the winds and to forme the mountaines and to make the morning darknes then he is also able to make an eternall iudgement for their confusion And therfore all such as be impenitent sinners let thē prepare thēselues to turne vnto him surely if men had grace to lay this to their hearts they would not liue so long in their sinnes without repentance as they doe nay rather they would prepare thēselues to meete him in the way before he come to iudgement because he is a Creator and therefore able to bring infinite punishments vpon them at his pleasure and to bring them to nothing as he made them of nothing And let them know it whosoeuer they be that go forward in their sinns that God the creator whensoeuer he will can open hell to deuoure them and that he can shew himselfe as mightie in his iudgement to mens destruction as he was mightie in the beginning in giuing vs a beeing when we were nothing Wherefore notable is the practise of Dauid who inures himselfe to the feare of God by the consideration of his creation saying I am fearefully and wonderfully made c. Lastly those which haue beene impenitent sinners through all their life past must not onely learne to repent for their sinnes but also endeauour to performe obedience vnto Gods word God is a creator and the thing created should in all respects be conformable to his will for Dauid saith Thine hands haue fashioned me and framed me giue me vnderstanding therefore that I may learne thy commandements And good reason for there is no man of any trade but he would faine haue all that he maketh and deuiseth to be vsed but yet so as the vse thereof must be conformable to the will of the maker For this cause Moses that faithful seruāt of God saith that the people of Israel dealt wrongfully with the Lord why for he hath created them and proportioned them he is their father and be bought them yet they haue dishonoured him by corrupting thēselues towards him by their vice All creatures in heauen and in earth doe the will of the Creator except man and the deuill and his angels for the Sunne the Moone and the Starres they keepe that course which God hath appointed them but man though he be bound to doe the will of God because God is his Creator yet he rebells against him The potter if in tempering his clay he can not make and frame it according to his minde at length he will dash it in pieces so God he createth man not that he should doe his owne will but Gods will and therefore the Lord in his wrath will confound him eternally who soeuer he be that followeth the lusts of his owne wicked heart and will not be brought to be conformable to Gods will but goes on his rebellion without stay For this cause it stands euery man in hand to yeelde himselfe pliable vnto Gods will to indeauour to obey it by keeping a good conscience before God and all men and by walking faithfully in his calling least the ende be confusion If a man haue a trade and other men come into his shoppe and vse such tooles and instruments as be there to wrong ends he will in no wise brooke it but take the abuse in great displeasure now the world is as it were an opened shoppe in which God hath set forth vnto vs his glorie and maiestie and the creatures of all kinds be instruments appointed for excellent vses and specially man for the accomplishment of his will And therefore when he rebells against the will of God and by sinne puts the creatures to wrong ends he can not but most grieuously offend God And thus much of the duties Now in the third place follow the consolations vnto Gods Church and people First as S. Peter saith God is a creator yea a faithfull creator The properties of a faithfull creator are two I. He will preserue his creature no man is so tender ouer any worke as he that made it for he cannot abide to see it any way abused God therefore beeing a faithfull creator tenderly loues all his creatures So Iob reasoneth with God that he will not cast him off because he is the worke of his handes II. God will beare with his creature to see whether it will be brought to any good ende and vse before he will destroy it And to vse the former comparison the potter will turne and worke the clay euery way to make a vessell vnto his minde but if it frame no way then will he cast it away and dash it against the wall And so God who created man still preserueth him and vseth all meanes to make him conformable to his wil before he cast him off The Lord did long striue with men in the old world to turne them from their wickednesse but when nothing would serue them it is said It repented the Lord that he made man on the earth And in like manner if wee which are the creatures of God shall rebell against this our creator it may be he will beare with vs for a time but if we continue therein and do not turne to him by repentance he will bring vpon vs a finall destruction both in bodie and soule Yet I say before he doe this his manner is to trie all meanes to preserue vs and turne vs vnto him and afterward if nothing will serue then will he shewe forth his power in mens confusion and therefore it standes vs in hand to looke vnto it betime Secondly looke what power the Lord did manifest in the creation of all things the same power he both can and will make manifest in the redemption of mankinde In the beginning God made all things by his word and so likewise he is able still to make by the power of his word of a wicked man that is dead in sinne a true and liuely member of Christ which the Prophet Esay signifieth when he saith The Lord that created the heauens and spread them abroad he that stretcheth forth the earth and the bodie thereof c. I the Lord haue called thee in righteousnesse This must not incourage euil men in their wickednes but it serueth to comfort the people of God considering that the same God which once created them is also as able to saue them and will shew himselfe as mightie in their redemption as he was in their creation of nothing And thus much of the creation in generall Nowe it followeth that wee come to the handling of the parts thereof For it is not said barely that God is a Creator but particularly that he
we so poreblinde that we cannot discerne any blessing and prouidence of God in them Therefore let vs learne to looke vpon both ioyntly togither and so shall wee bee thankfull vnto God in prosperitie and patient in aduersitie with Iob and Dauid This lesson Paul learned I can be abased saith he and I can abound euery where in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungrie and to abound and to be in want Fourthly seeing Gods prouidence disposeth all things wee are taught to gather obseruations of the same in things both past and present that we may learne thereby to be armed against the time to come Thus Dauid when hee was to encounter with Goliah gathered hope and confidence to himselfe for the time to come by the obseruation of Gods prouidence in the time past for saith he when I kept my fathers sheepe I slue a lyon and a beare that deuoured the flocke nowe the Lord that deliuered me out of the paw of the lyon and out of the paw of the beare he will deliuer me out of the hand of this Philistim Fifthly because Gods prouidence disposeth all things when we make lawfull promises to doe any thing we must put in or at the least conceiue this condition if the Lord will for S. Iames saith that we ought to say If the Lord will and if we liue we will doe this or that This also was Dauids practise for to all the congregation of Israel he saide If it seeme good to you and if it proceede from the Lord our God we will send to and fro Sixtly seeing Gods prouidence is manifested in ordinary means it behooueth euery man in his calling to vse them carefully when ordinarie meanes be at hand wee must not looke for any help without them though the Lord be able to doe what he wil without meanes Ioab when many Aramites came against him he heartened his souldiers though they were but fewe in number bidding them be strong and valiant for their people and for the citties of their god and then let the Lord doe that which is good in his eies And our Sauiour Christ auoucheth it to be flat tempting of God for him to leape downe from the pinacle of the temple to the ground wheras there was an ordinarie way at hand to descend by staires Hence it appeares that such persons as wil vse no means whereby they may come to repent and beleeue doe indeede no more repent and beleeue then they can be able to liue which neither eate nor drinke And thus much of the duties Nowe followe the consolations first this very point of Gods speciall prouidence is a great comfort to Gods Church for the Lord moderateth the rage of the deuill and wicked men that they shal not hurt the people of God Dauid saith The Lord is at my right hand therefore I shall not slide And when Iosephs brethren were afraid because they had solde him into Egypt he comforteth them saying that it was God that sent him before them for their preseruation So king Dauid when his owne souldiers were purposed to stone him to death he was in great sorrow but it is said he comforted himselfe in the Lord his God Where we may see that a man which hath grace to beleeue in God and rely on his prouidence in all his afflictions and extremities shall haue wonderfull peace and consolation Before we can proceede to the articles which followe it is requisite that we should intreat of one of the greatest workes of Gods prouidence that can be because the opening of it giueth light to all that inâ—ueth And this worke is a Preparation of such meanes whereby God will manifest his iustice mercie It hath two parts the iust permission of the fall of maÌ„ the giuing of the CouenaÌ„t of grace For so Paul teacheth wheÌ„ he saith That god shut vp all vnder vnbeleefe that he might haue mercie vpon all And againe The scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne that the promise by the faith of Christ Iesus should be giuen to them that beleeue Touching the first that we might rightly conceiue of mans fall we are to search out the nature and parts of sinne Sinne is any thing whatsoeuer is against the will and word of God as S. Iohn saith Sinne is the transgression of the lawe And this definition Paul confirmeth when he saith that by the lawe comes the knoweledge of sinne and where no lawe is there is no transgression and sinne is not imputed where there is no lawe In sinne we must consider three things the fault the guilt the punishment The fault is the anomie or the inobedience it selfe and it comprehends not onely huge and notorious offences as idolatrie blasphemie theft treason adulterie and all other crimâ—s that the world criâ—s shame on but euery disordered thought affection inclination yea euery defect of that which the law requireth The guilt of sinne is whereby a man is guiltie before God that is bounde made subiect to punishment And here two questions must be skanned where man is bound and by what For the first Man is bound in conscience And hereupon the conscience of euery sinner sitts within his heart as a little iudge to tell him that he is bound before God to punishment For the second it is the order of diuine iustice set downe by God which bindes the conscience of the sinner before god for he is Creatour and Lord and man is a creature and therefore must either obey his will and commandementâ— or suffer punishment Nowe then by vertue of Gods lawe conscience bindes ouer the creature to beare a punishment for his offence done against God yea it tells him that he is in danger to be iudged and condemned for it And therefore the conscience is as it were the Lordes Sergeant to informe the sinner of the bond and obligation whereby he alwaies stands bound before God The third thing which followeth sinne is punishment and that is death So Paul saith The stipend of sinne is death where by death wee must vnderstand a double death both of bodie and soule The death of the bodie is a separation of the bodie from the soule The second death is a separation of the whole man but especially of the soule from the glorious presence of God I say not simplie from the presence of God for God is euery where but only from the ioyfull presence of Gods glorie Now these two deaths are the stipends or allowance of sinne and the least sinne which a man committeth doth deserue these two punishments For in euery sinne the infinite iustice of God is violated for which cause there must needes be inflicted an infinite punishment that there may be a proportion betweene the punishment and the offence And therefore that distinction of sinne which Papists make namely that some are in themselues veniall and some mortall is false and
plunged into a sea of most grieuous afflictions and ouerwhelmed with the gulfes of most dreadfull temptations euen then then I say we should not be discouraged but lift vp our hearts by feruent praier to God Thus did Christ when in the garden he was about to drinke the cuppe of the wrath of God and to sucke vp the very dregges of it and Dauid saith that out of the deepes he called of the name of the Lord and was heard The fifth point what is the matter and forme of this prayer Answ. Christ praies to be deliuered from the death and passion which was to come saying on this manner Father let this cuppe passe from me yet with two clauses added thereto If it be possible and Not my will but thy will be done But it may be demanded how it could be that Christ knowing that it was his Fathers will and counsell that he should suffer death for man and also comming into the world for that ende should make such a request to his Father without sinne Answ. The request proceedes onely of a weaknes or infirmitie in Christs manhood without sinne which appeareth thus We must still consider that when he made this prayer to his father the whole wrath of God and the very dolours and pangs of hell seazed vpon him whereby the senses and powers of his minde were astonished and wholly bent to releeue nature in this agonie For as when the heart is smitten with griefe all the blood in the bodie flowes thither to comfort it so when Christ was in this astonishment the vnderstanding and memorie and all the parts of his humane nature as it were for a time suspending their owne proper actions concurred to sustaine and support the spirit and life of Christ as much as possibly might be Now Christ beeing in the middest of this perplexed estate prayeth on this manner Father if it be possible let this cuppe passe And these words proceede not from any sinne or disobedience to his Fathers will but onely from a meere perturbation of minde caused onely by an outward meanes namly the apprehension of Gods anger which neither blinded his vnderstanding nor tooke away his memorie so as he forgot his fathers will but onely stopped and staied the act of reasoning and remembring for a little time euen as in the most perfect clocke that is the motion may be staied by the ayre or by mans hand or by some outward cause without any defect or breach made in any part of it It may be obiected that Christs will is flatte contrarie to the wil of his father Ans. Christs will as he is man and the will of his father in this agonie were not contrarie but onely diuers and that without any contradiction or contrarietie Now a man may will a diuers thing from that which God willeth and that without sinne Paul desired to preach the word of God in Asia and Bithynia but he was hindred by the spirit For all this there is no contrarietie betweene Paul and the spirit of God but in the shew of discord great consent For that which Paul willeth well the spirit of God willeth not by a better will though the reason hereof be secret and the reason of Pauls will manifest Againe the minister in charitie reputing the whole congregation to be elect in holy manner seeketh and willeth the saluation of euery one which neuerthelesse the Lord in his eternall counsell willeth not Now betweene both these wills there may be and is a difference without contrarietie For one good thing as it is good may differ from another but it cannot be contrarie vnto it It may further be alleadged that in this praier there seemes to be a combate and fight in the minde will and affections of Christ and therefore sinne Ans. There are three kind of combates the one betweene reason and appetite and this fight is alwaies sinnefull and was not in Christ the second is betweene the flesh and the spirit and this may be in Gods child who is but in part regenerate but it did not befall Christ who was perfectly holy The third is a combate of diuers desires vpon sundrie respects drawing a man to and fro This may be in mans nature without fault and was in Christ in whome the desire of doing his Fathers will striuing and struggling with another desire whereby nature seekes to preserue it selfe caused him to pray in this manner The sixth point is in what manner Christ prayed Answ. He praied to his Father partly kneeling partly lying on his face and that with strong cries and teares sweating water and blood and all this he did for our sinnes Here then behold the agonie of Christ as a cleare chrystall in which we may fully see the exceeding greatnes of our sinnes as also the hardnes of our hearts We goe vaunting with our heads to heauen as though it were nothing to sinne against God whereas the horrour of the wrath of God for our rebellions brought downe euen the sonne of God himselfe and laide him groueling vpon the earth And we cānot so much almost as shed one teare for our iniquities wheras he sweates blood for vs. Oh let vs therefore learne to abase our selues and to carrie about vs contrite and bleeding hearts and be confounded in our selues for our sinnes past The last point is the euent of the prayer which is to be heard as the author of the Hebrewes saith Christ Iesus in the daies of the flesh did offer vp vnto his father prayers and supplications with strong cries and teares vnto him that was able to saue him and was also heard in that thing which he feared But some will say how was Christ heard seeing he suffered death and bare the pangs of hel and the full wrath of God if he had beene heard he should haue beene deliuered from all this Answ. We must know that God heares our praiers two waies I. when he directly graunts our request II. when knowing what is good for vs he giues not vs our requests directly but a thing answerable thereunto And thus was Christ heard for he was not deliuered from suffering but yet he had strength and power giuen him whereby his manhood was made able to beare the brunt of Gods wrath And in the same manner God heareth the praiers of his seruants vpon earth Paul praied to be deliuered from the angel Satan that buffeted him but the Lord answered that it should not so be because his grace whereby he was inabled to resist his temptation was sufficient and Paul finding the fruit of his prayers on this manner protests hereupon that he will reioyce in his infirmities Others pray for temporall blessings as health life libertie c. which notwithstanding God holds backe and giues in stead thereof spirituall graces patience faith contentation of minde Augustine saith God heares not our prayers alwaies according to our wills and desires but according as the things asked shall be
this temple and in three daies I will build it vp againe more plainly I haue saith he power to lay downe my life and I haue power to take it againe From whence we learne diuers instructions First whereas Christ raiseth himselfe from death to life it serueth to prooue that he was not onely man but also true God For the bodie beeing dead could not bring againe the soule and ioyne it selfe vnto the same and make it selfe aliue againe neither yet the soule that is departed from the bodie can returne againe and quicken the bodie and therefore there was some other nature in Christ namely his godhead which did revnite soule and bodie togither and thereâ—y quicken the manhood Secondly if Christ giue life to himselfe beeing dead in the graue then much more nowe beeing aliue and in heauen glorified is hee able to raise vp his members from death to life Wee are all by nature euen starke dead in sinne as the deade bodie rotten in the graue and therefore our duty is to come to Christ our Lord by humble prayer earnestly intreating him that he would raise vs vp euery day more and more from the graue of our sinnes to newnesse of life He can of men deade in their sinnes make vs aliue vnto himselfe to liue in righteousnes and true holines all the daies of our life The third thing is that Christ rose againe with an earthquake And this serueth to prooue that he lost nothing of his power by death but still remained the absolute Lord and King of heauen and earth to whome therefore the earth vnder his feete trembling doth him homage This also prooueth vnto vs that Christ which lay dead in the graue did raise himselfe againe by his owne almightie power Lastly it serueth to conuince the keepers of the graue the women which came to embalme him and the disciples which came to the sepulchre and would not yet beleeue that he was risen againe But how came this earthquake Ans. Saint Matthew saith there was a great earthquake For the Angel of the Lord descended from heauen c. This shewes that the power of angels is great in that they can mooue and stirre the earth Three angels destroied Sodom and Gomorrha An angel destroied the first borne of Egypt in one night In the hoast of Senacherib one angel slue in one night an hundreth fourescore and fiue thousand men Of like power is the deuill himselfe to shake the earth and to destroy vs all but that God of his goodnesse limits and restraines him of his libertie Well if one angel be able to shake the earth what then will Christ himselfe doe when he shall come to iudgement the second time with many thousand thousands of angels oh how terrible and fearefull will his comming be Not without cause saith the holy Ghost that the wicked at that day shall crie out wishing the hills to fall vpon them and the mountaines to couer them for feare of that great and terrible day of the Lord. The fourth thing is that an Angel ministred to Christ beeing to rise againe in that he came to the graue and rolled away the stone and sate vpon it Where obserue first how the angels of God minister vnto Christ though dead and buried whereby they acknowledge that his power maiestie and authoritie is not included within the bonds of the earth but extends it selfe euen to the heauens themselues and the hosts thereof and that according to his humanitie Wicked men for their parts laboured to close him vp in the earth as the basest of all creatures but the angels of heauen most readily accept him as their soueraigne Lord and king as in like manner they did in his temptation in the wildernes and in his agonie in the garden Secondly that the opinion of the Papists and others which thinke that the bodie of Christ went through the graue-stone when he rose againe is without warrant For the end no doubt why the angel rolled away the stone was that Christ might come forth And indeed it is against the order of nature that one body should passe through another without corruption or alteration of either considering that euery bodie occupies a place and two bodies at the same instant can not be in one proper place Furthermore it is saide that when the angel sate on the stone his countenance was like lightening and his rayment as white as snow and this serued to shew what was the glorie of Christ himselfe For if the seruant and minister be so glorious then endles is the glorie of the lord and master himselfe Lastly it is saide that for feare of the angel the watchmen were astonied and became as dead men which teacheth vs that what God would haue come to passe all the world can neuer hinder For though the Iewes had closed vp the graue with a stone and set a band of souldiours to watch least Christ should by any meanes be taken away yet all this auaileth nothing by an angel from heauen the seale is broken the stone is remooued and the watchmen at their wittes endes And this came to passe by the prouidence of God that after the watchmen had testified these things to the Iewes they might at length be conuicted that Christ whome they crucified was the Messias The fifth and last point is that Christ rose not alone but accompanied with others as S. Matthew saith that the graues opened and many bodies of the Saints which slept arose and came out of the graues and went into the holy citie and appeared vnto many after Christs resurrection And this came to passe that the church of God might know and consider that there is a reuiuing and quickning vertue in the resurrection of Christ wherby he is able not onely to raise our dead bodies vnto life but also when we are dead in sinne to raise vs vp to newnesse of life And in this very point stands a maine difference betweene the resurrection of Christ and the resurrection of any other man For the resurrection of Peter nothing auailes to the raising of Dauid or Paul but Christs resurrection auailes for all that haue beleeued in him by the very same power whereby he raised himselfe he raiseth all his members and therfore he is called a quickning spirit And let vs marke the order obserued in rising First Christ riseth and theÌ„ the Saints after him And this came to passe to verefie the Scripture which saith that Christ is the first borne of the dead Now he is the first borne of the deadâ— in that he hath this dignitie and priuiledge to rise to eternall life the first of all men It is true indeed that Lazarus and sundrie others in time rose before Christ but yet they rose to liue a mortall life and to die againe Christ he is the first of all that rose to life euerlasting and to glorie neuer any rose before Christ in this manner And the persons that
it containeth three points The first that Christ beeing now to ascend lifts vp his hands and blessed his disciples In the Scripture are mentioned diuers kinds of blessings The first when one man praieth to God for a blessing vpon an other and this blessing doe Kings and princes bestow vpon their subiects and parents on their children and for this cause children are well taught to aske their fathers and mothers blessing that they may pray to God to blesse them There is an other kinde of blessing when a man doth not onely pray for a blessing but also pronounceth it This did the priests in the old Testament and thus Melchisedeck when he met Abraham blessed him saying Blessed art thou Abraham of God the most high possessour of heauen earth And this was the ordinarie duty of the priests prescribed by God himselfe therefore the very forme of words which they vsed is set downe after this maner The Lord blesse thee and keepe thee the Lord make his face to shine vpon thee c. The third kind of blessing is when a man doth not onely pray to God pronounce blessing but by the spirit of prophecie doth foretell a particular blessing vpon any Thus Isaac blessed Iaacob and Esau particularly foretelling both their estates And Iaacob blessed the twelue Patriarks by the same spirit foretelling them what should befall them many hundred yeares after Now our Sauiour Christ did not blesse his disciples any of these three waies and therefore there remaineth a fourth kinde of blessing which he vsed that was after this manner Christ in blessing his disciples did not onely pronounce or foretell a blessing that should come to his disciples but did conferre giue the same vnto them For he is the fountaine and author of all blessings And therefore Paul saith that God the father hath blessed vs in all spiritual blessings in Christ. Hence we learne first that al those which denie themselues flie to Christ and put their affiance in him shall be freed from the curse of the law from the wrath of God due vnto them for their sinns whatsoeuer they are Secondly that the curses of men must not discourage vs from doing well For though men curse yet Christ blesseth and for this cause he saith Woe be vnto you when all men speake well of you as if he should say then you want the blessing of God And we must remember that when men shall curse vs for doing our dutie euen then the blessing of God shall be vpon vs the curse causeles shall not hurt And God saith to Abraham he will curse them that curs◠him Thirdly we learne that no witchcraft nor sorcerie which often are done with cursing shall be able to hurt vs. For looke where Christ will blesse there all the deuills in hell can neuer fasten a curse This is found true by experiēce For when Balaam the wizzard should haue cursed the people of Israel had assaied to doe it many waies but could not at length he said there is no sorcerie against Iacob nor soothsaying against Israel This is a notable comfort to the people of God that witches and sorcerers doe what they can shall neuer be able to hurt them It may be that their badde practises may annoy mens bodies and goods yet the Lord will turne all to a blessing vpon his seruants either in this life or the life to come The second point is that Christ went apart from his disciples and ascended vpward toward heauen in their sight For the right vnderstanding of this sundrie speciall points must be obserued The first that the lifting vp of his bodie was principally by the mightie power of his godhead and partly by the supernaturall propertie of a glorified bodie which is to mooue as well vpward as downward without constraint or violence The second that Christ did goe from earth to heauen really and actually and not in appearance onely The third that he went visibly in the sight of his disciples The fourth that he went locally by chaunging his place and going from earth to heauen so as he is no more on earth bodily as we are now on earth It may be obiected that Christ made a promise that hee would bee with his Church to the ende of the world Answ. That promise is to be vnderstood of the presence of his spirit or godhead not of the presence of his manhood Againe it may further be alleadged that if the godhead be on earth then must the manhood be there also because they are both vnited together Answ. It is not true that of two things conioined where the one is there must the other be also For the sunne it selfe and the sunne-beames are both ioyned together yet they are not both in all places together For the bodie of the sunne is onely in the heauens but the sunne-beames are also vpon the earth The argument therefore followes not Christs manhood subsists in that person which is euery where ergo his manhood is euery where And the reason is because the Sonne of God subsists not onely in his diuine nature but also by it whereas he doth not subsist at all by the manhoode but onely in it for he subsisted before all eternitie when the manhood was not Nay rather because the manhood doth subsist by the person of the Sonne therefore the person extends it selfe further then the manhood which is assumed and sustained by it and hath his existing thence For that very thing whereby any other thing either essentially or accidentally is extends it selfe further then the thing whereby it is As the humane nature whereby Peter is a man extends it selfe further then to Peter namely to all other men and the whitenesse whereby the snow is white extends it selfe further then to that snow which a man holds in his hand The third point is that in the ascension a cloud tooke Christ from the fight of his disciples And whereas he caused a cloud to come betweene their sight and himselfe it signified vnto them that they must now be contented with that which they had seene and not seeke to know further what became of him afterward and the same thing is taught vnto vs also we must content our selues with that which God hath reuealed in his word and seeke no further specially in things which concerne God For the like ende in the giuing of the law in Sinai God appeared in a cloud and when he did manifest his glorie in the temple which Salomon made a thicke cloud filled the same The fourth point to be considered is concerning the witnesses of his ascension which were his owne disciples in the mount of Oliues at Bethanie and none but they Now it may be demanded why he would not haue all the whol natiō of the Iewes to see him ascend that so they might know that he was risen againe and beleeue in him
die that originall corruption may be vtterly abolished for no man liuing on earth is perfectly sanctified and originall sinne is remaining for speciall causes to the last moment of this life and then it is abolished and not before II. The godly die that by death as by a straight gate they may passe from this vale of miserie to eternall life And thus Christ by his death makes death to be no death and turnes a curse into a blessing And to proceede It is not here said the resurrection of the soule but of the bodie onely what then will some say becommeth of the soule Diuers haue thought that the soules then though they doe not die yet are still kept within the bodie beeing as it were asleepe till the last day But Gods word saith to the contrarie For the soules of the godly lie vnder the altar and crie How long Lord Iesus Diues in soule did suffer the woe and torments of hell and Lazarus had ioy in Abrahams bosome Again some others thinke that mens soules after this life doe passe from one mans bodie to an other and Herod may seeme to haue beene of this opinion for when newes was brought him of Christ he saide that Iohn Baptist beeing beheaded was risen againe thinking that the soule of Iohn Baptist was put into the bodie of some other man And for proofe hereof some alledge the example of Nebuchadnezzar who forsaking the societie of men liued as beasts and did eate grasse like a beast they imagine that his owne soule went out of him and that the soule of a beast entred in the roome thereof But this indeede is a fond conceit for euen then he had the soule of a man when he liued as a beast beeing onely stricken by the hand of God with an exceeding madnesse whereby he was bereft of common reason as doth appeare by that clause in the text where it is said that his vnderstanding or knowledge returned to him againe Again some other thinke that the soule neither dieth nor sleepeth nor passeth out of one bodie into an other but wandereth here on earth among men and oftentimes appeareth to this or that man and this is the opinion of some hereticks and of the common people which think that dead men walke for proofe hereof some alleadge the practise of the witch of Endor who is said to make Samuel to appeare before Saul but the truth is it was not Samuel in deed but onely a counterfait of him For not all the witches in the world nor all the deuils in hell are able to disquiet the soules of the faithfull departed which are in the keeping of the Lord without wandring from place to place For when men die in the faith their soules are immediatly translated into heauen and there abide till the last iudgement and contrariwise if men die in their sinnes their soules go straight to the place of eternall condemnation and there abide as in a prison as Peter saith In a word when the breath goeth out of the bodie the soule of euery man goeth straight either to heauen or hell and there is no third place of aboad mentioned in Scripture To conclude the resurrection of the bodie is expressely mentioned in the Creede to shew that there is no resurrection of the soule which neither dieth nor sleepeth but is a spirituall and inuisible substance liuing and abiding for euer as well forth of the bodie as in the same Thus much of the third prerogatiue or benefit now followeth the fourth and last in these words And life euerlasting To handle this point to the full aâ—d to open the nature of it as it deserueth is not in the power of man For both the prophet Esai and Saint Paul say that the eye hath not seene the eare hath not heard neither came it into mans heart to thinke of those things which God hath prepared for those that loue him Againe Paul when hee was rapt into the third heauen saith that he sawe things not to be vttered Neuertheles we may in some part describe the same so farre forth as God in this case hath reuealed his will vnto vs. Wherefore in this last prerogatiue I consider two things the first is Life it selfe the second is the Continuance of life noted in the worde euerlasting Life it selfe is that whereby any thing acteth liueth and mooueth it selfe and it is twofolde vncreated or created Vncreated life is the very godhead it selfe whereby God liueth absolutely in himselfe from himselfe and by himselfe giuing life and beeing to all things that liue and haue beeing and this life is not meant here because it is not communicable to any creature Created life is a qualitie in the creature and it s againe two-fold naturall spirituall Naturall life is that whereby men in this world liue by meate and drinke and all such meanes as are ministred by Gods prouidence Spirituall life is that most blessed and happie estate in which all the Elect shall raigne with Christ their head in the heauens after this life and after the day of iudgement for euer and euer And this alone is the life which in the Creede we confesse and beleeue and it consisteth in an immediate coniunction and communion or fellowship with God himselfe as Christ in his solemne praier to his father a litle before his death signifieth I pray not for these alone but for them also which shall beleeue in me through thy word that they all may be one as thou O father art in me and I in thee eueÌ„ that they may be one also in vs. And wheÌ„ S. Iohn in the RevelatioÌ„ saith Beholde the tabernacle of God is with men he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himselfe shall be their God with them he sheweth that the very foundation of that happines which god hath prepared for his seruants stands in a societie betweene God and them whereby God shall dwell with them in heauen and they againe shall there enioy his glorious presence Touching this Communion three points must be considered The first is in what order men shall haue fellowship with God Ans. This communion shall be first of all with Christ as he is man and by reason that the manhoode of Christ is personally vnited to the godhead of the sonne it shall also be with Christ as he is God and consequently with the father and the holy Ghost The reason of this order is because Christ though he be the author and the fountaine of eternall life as he is God yet he conueies the same vnto vs onely in and by his flesh or manhood Yet must we not here thinke that life proceedeth froÌ„ the maÌ„hood it selfe as from a cause efficient for the flesh quickeneth not by any vertue froÌ„ it selfe but by the Word to which it is personally vnited it beeing as it were a pipe eternally to conuey life from the godhead vnto vs. The
of Christ It shall be easier for Tyrus and Sydon in that day then for this generation and therefore there be proportionall degrees of glorie And Paul saith There is one glorie of the sunne an other glorie of the moone an other glorie of the starres for one starre differeth from another in glorie so is the resurrection of the dead In which words he applies the differences of excellencie that be in the creatures to set forth the differences of glorie that shall be in mens bodies after the resurrection Furthermore if we may coniecture it may be the degrees of glorie shall be answerable to the diuerse measures of gifts and graces bestowed on men in this life and according to the imployance of them to the glorie of God and edification of the Church And therefore the twelue Apostles who were exceedingly enriched with the gifts of the spirit and were master-builders of the Church of the new Testament shall sit on 12. thrones and iudge the twelue tribes of Israel But it may be obiected that if there be degrees of glorie in heauen some shall want glorie Ans. Not so though some haue more and some lesse yet all shall haue sufficient Take sundrie vessells whereof some are bigger and some lesse and cast them all into the sea some will receiue more water and some lesse and yet all shall be full and no want in any and so likewise among the Saints of God in heauen some shall haue more glorie some lesse and yet all without exception full of glorie And wheras it is alleadged that all the labourers in the vineyard receiue each of them a pennie equally for their hire the answer is that our Sauiour Christ in that parable intends not to set forth the equalitie of celestiall glorie and what shall be the state of the godly after this life but the very drift of the parable is to shew that they which are called first haue no cause to bragge or insult ouer others which as yet are vncalled considering they may be made equall or be preferred before them Thus much of life it selfe now followes the continuance thereof which the Scriptures haue noted in calling it eternall or euerlasting And to this end Paul saith that Christ hath abolished death and brought not onely life but also immortalitie to light by the Gospell And this very circumstance serues greatly to commend the happines of the godly in that after they haue made an entrance into it they shall neuer see tearme of time or end Suppose the whole world were a sea and that euery thousand yeares expired a bird must carrie away or drinke vp one onely droppe of it in processe of time it will come to passe that this sea though very huge shall be dried vp but yet many thousand millions of yeares must be passed before this can be done Now if a man should enioy happinesse in heauen onely for the space of time in which the sea is in drying vp he would thinke his case most happie and blessed but behold the Elect shall enioy the kingdome of heauen not onely for that time but when it is ended they shall enioy it as long againe and when all is done they shall be as farre from the ending of this their ioy as they were at the beginning Hauing thus seene what life euerlasting is let vs now come to the vse of the article And first of all if we beleeue that there is an eternall happines and that the same belongs vnto vs then we must vse this present world all the things therein as though we vsed them not and whatsoeuer we doe in this world yet the eyes of our minds must be alwaies cast toward the blessed estate prepared for vs in heauen As a pilgrime in a strange land hath alwaies his eyes toward his iournies end and is then grieued when by any meanes he is out of the way so must we alwaies haue our mindes and hearts set on euerlasting life and be grieued when we are by any way hindered in the straight way that leadeth thereunto we haue a notable patterne of this dutie set out vnto vs in the Patriarke Abraham who beeing called of God obeyed to goe out into a place which he should afterward receiue for inheritance and he went out not knowing whither he went and by faith aboad in the land of Canaan as in a strange countrey and as one that dwelt in tents Now the cause that mooued him was life euerlasting for the text saith He looked for a citie hauing a foundation whose builder and maker is God And we ought euery one of vs for our parts to be little affected to the things of this life neuer setting our hearts vpon them but vsing them as a pilgrime doth vse his staffe in the way so long as it is an helpe and stay for him in his iourney he is content to carrie it in his hand but so soone as â—t beginneth to trouble him he casteth it away Secondly all that â—rofesse the Gospel of Christ may hence learne to beare the crosses and afflicâ—ions which God shall lay on them in this world It is Gods vsuall manneâ— to begin corrections in his owne familie vpon his owne children and as Pâ—ter saith Iudgement beginneth at Gods house Looke at a mother that weanes her child laieth wormewood or some other bitter thing vpon her breast to make the child loath the milke so likewise God makes vs often feele the misâ—ries and crosses of this life that our loue and liking might be turned from this world and fixed in heauen As rawe flesh is loathsome to the stomacke so is euery sinner and vnmortified man loathsome vnto God till the Lord by afflictions mortifie in him the corruptions of his nature and specially the loue of this world But when a man is afflicted how shall he be able to endure the crosse Surely by resoluing himselfe that the Lord hath prepared life euerlasting for him Thus we read that Moses by faith when he was come to age refused to be called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter and choosed rather to suffer aduersitie with the people of God then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season esteeming the rebuke of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt But I pray you what mooued Moses to be of this minde The reason is added Because he had respect to the recompence of reward that is he had alwaies a speciall regard to life euerlasting and that was it that made him content and willing to suffer affliction with the people of god Here then behold a notable president for vs to follow In which we are taught that the best way to endure afflictions with patience is to haue an eye to the recompence of reward this is it that makes the yoke of Christ easie and lightsome When it shall please God to bring vnto vs a cup of afflictions and bid vs drinke a draught thereof to the very bottome the
commandement to pray and then after giues a direction for the keeping of it this he doth to stir vp our dulnes and to allure vs by all meanes to this heauenly exercise of prayer wherefore still I say imploy your selues in praier feruently and continually and if you cannot doe it learne to praie Thus much of the commandement of our Sauiour Christ now follow the words of the praier Our Father which art c. THese wordes containe three partes 1. A preface 2. The praier it selfe containing sixe petitions 3. The testification of faith in the last worde Amen Which although it be short yet it doth not containe the smallest point in the praier It is I say a testification of our faith whereas the petitions that goe before are onely testifications of our desires Nowe of these three partes in order We must consider howe our Sauiour Christ doth not set downe the petitions abruptly but he first begins with a solemne preface Whereby wee are taught this lesson that hee which is to pray vnto God is first to prepare himselfe and not boldly without consideration as it were to rush into the presence of God If a man be to come before an earthly prince hee will order himselfe in apparell gesture and wordes that he may doe all things in seemelinesse and dutifull reuerence how much more are men to order themselues when they are to appeare before the liuing God Eccl. 5.1 Bee not rash with thy mouth and let not thy heart be hastie to vtter a thing before the Lord. And Dauid Psal. 26.6 Washed his hands in innocency before he came to the altar of the Lord to offer sacrifice The meanes whereby men may stirre vp their dull and heauie hearts so prepare themselues to praier are three The first is to read diligently the word of God concerning those matters about which they are to pray what then this will be a meanes not onely to direct him but also to quicken the heart more feruently to deliuer his praier This is euident by a comparison The beames of the sunne descending heat not before they come to the earth or some solide bodie where they may reflect and then by that meanes the earth and aire adioyning is made hot euen so the Lord sends down vnto vs his blessed word euen as beames and the goodly sunshine and thereby he speakes to our hearts now when we make our praiers of that which we haue read Gods word is as it were reâ—â—ected and our hearts are thereby warmed with the comfortable heat of Gods holy spirit to poure out our pâ—aiers to God more feruently The second meanes is to pray to God that hee would strengthen vs with his spirit that we might be able to praie as it is practised Psal. 143.1 The third meanes is the consideration of Gods most glorious maiestie wherein we are to remember first his fatherly goodnes and kindnesse whereby hee is willing and secondly his omnipotencie whereby hee is able to gâ—ant our requests One of these imboldened the leaper to pray Lord if thou wilâ— thou canst make me â—leane Mat. 8.2 Therefore both togither are more effectuall Now let vs come to the preface it selfe Our father which art in heauen It coÌ„taines a description of the true Iehoua to whome we pray and that by two arguments the first is drawne from a relation Our Father the second is taken from the subiect or place Which art in heauen Father 1. The meaning IN the opening of this word or title of God two questions are to be opened 1. Quest. Whether by thit title Father is signified the whole Trinitie or some one person thereof Ans. Otherwhiles this name is attributed to all the persons in Trinitie or any of them Mal. 2. 10. Haue wee not all one father c. Luk. 3.38 Which was the sonne of Adam which was the sâ—nne of God And in Esai 36. Christ is called the Father of eternitie because all that are truely knit to him and borne anew by him they are eternally made the sonnes of God Againe oftentimes it is giuen to the first person in Trinitie as in those places where one person is conferred with another And so in this place principally for some speciall respects this title agrees to the first person For first he is the father of Christ as he is the eternall word of the father and that by nature because he is of the same essence with him Secondly he is the father to Christ in respect of his manhood not by nature or adoption but by personall vnion because the humane nature doth subsist in the person of the word Thirdly he is a father to all the faithfull by adoption in Christ. 2. Quest. Whether are we to praie to the sonne and the holy Ghost as to the Father Ans. Inuocation belongs to al the three persons in Trinitie not only to the Father Act. 7.59 Steuen praieth Lord Iesus receiue my spirit 1. Thâ—s 3.2 Now God our Father and our Lord Iesus Christ guide our iourney vnto you 2. Cor. 13.13 The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ the loue of God and the communion of the holy ghost be with you And men are baptized in the name of the father the sonne and the holy Ghost that is by calling on the name of the Father Sonne and holy Ghost Some may say this praier is a perfect platforme of all praiers yet we are taught to direct our praiers to the Father not to the Sonne or holy spirit I answere the Father Sonne and holy Ghost are three distinct persons yet they are not to be seuered or deuided because they all subsist in one and the same godhead or diuine nature And further in all outward actions as in the creation and preseruation of the world and the saluation of the elect they are not seuered or diuided for they all worke togither onely they are distinguished in the manner of working Nowe if they be not diuided in nature or operation then they are not to be seuered in worship And in this place wee principally direct our praiers to the father because he is the first in order yet so as then we implie the Sonne and holy Ghost For we pray to the Father in the name of the Sonne by the assistance of the holy Ghost And to what person soeuer the praier is directed we must alwaies remember in minde and heart to include the rest 2. The vse TThe vses of this point are manifold 1. First whereas we are taught to come to God as to a father therefore in the name of his Sonne our Sauiour Christ we learne to lay the first ground of all our praiers which is to hold and maintaine the vnion the distinction of the three persons in Trinitie This beeing the lowest and the first foundation of praier it is requisite that all which would pray aright should haue this knowledge rightly to beleeue the Trinitie and to know how the three persons agree and how
children And where the spirit of Christ dwelleth there must needes be faith for Christ dwelleth in the hearts of the faithful by faith Therfore as Rebecca when she felt the Twins striue in her womb though it pained her yet shee knew both that shee had conceiued and that the children were quick in her so they who haue these motions and holy affections in them before mentioned may assure themselues that the spirit of god dwelleth in them and consequently that they haue faith though a weake faith XIX Examples of this small faith are euident in the Apostles who though they beleeued that Christ was the Sauiour of the world yet they were ignorant of his death and resurrection which are the cheife meanes of saluation After his resurrection they were ignorant of his ascension of his spiritual kingdome for they dreamed of an earthly kingdome and at his death they all fled from him and Peter fearefully denied him They being in this estate are not said to haue no faith but to be of little faith Another example we haue in Dauid who hauing continued a long space in his two great sinnes adulterie and murther was admonished thereof by Nathan the prophet beeing admonished he confessed his sinnes and straightway Nathan declared vnto him frō the Lord the forgiuenes of them Yet afterward Dauid humbleth himselfe as it appeareth in the 51. Psalme and praieth most earnestly for the forgiuenes of those and all other his sinnes euen as though it had not bin true that they were forgiuen as Nathan told him the reason is howsoeuer they were remitted before God yet Dauid at his first repenting of them felt none assurance in his heart of the forgiuenes of them onely he had a perswasion that they might be pardoned And therefore he vehemently desired and praied to the Lord to remit them and to sanctifie him anew This then being the least measure of faith it must be remembred that he who hath not attained to it hath as yet no sauing faith at all XX. The greatest measure of faith is a full perswasion of the mercie of God For it is the strength and ripenes of faith Rom. 4.20.21 Abraham not weake in faith but being strengthened in the faith was fully perswaded that he who had promised was able to doe it This full assurance is when a man can say with Paul I am perswaded that neither life nor death nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. And least any should thinke this saying is peculiar to Paul he testifieth of himselfe that for this cause he was receiued to mercie that he might be an example to them which after should beleeue in Christ to life eternall and the whole Church in the Cant◠vseth the same in effect saying Loue is as strong as death iealousie is as cruel as the graue the coales thereof are fierie coales and a vehement flame Much water cannot quench loue neither can the flouds drown it if a man should giue all the substance of his house for loue they would contemne it XXI No Christian attaineth to this full assurance at the first but in some continuance of time after that for a long space he hath kept a good conscience before God and before men and hath had diuers experiences of Gods loue and fauour towards him in Christ. This Paul declareth to the Romanes in afflictions God sheds abroad his loue in their hearts by the holy Ghost which is giuen to them but how by degrees for from afflictions ariseth patience from patience commeth experience from experience hope and hope neuer maketh ashamed or disappointeth him of eternall life This is euident in Dauids practise Doubtles saith he kindnes and mercie shall follow me all the daies of my life and I shall liue a long season in the house of the Lord. Mark this his resolute perswasion and consider how he came vnto it namely by experience of Gods fauour at sundrie times and after sundrie manners For before he set downe this resolution he numbred vp diuerse benefits receiued of the Lord that he fedde him in greene pastures and led him by the refreshing waters of Gods word that he restoreth him and leadeth him in the paths of righteousnes that he strengtheneth him in great daungers euen of death and preserueth him that in despight of his enemies he enriched him with many benefits By meanes of all these mercies of God bestowed on him he came to be perswaded of the continuance of the fauour of God towardes him Againe Dauid saide before King Saul Let no mans heart faile because of Goliah Thy seruant will goe and fight with the Philistine And Saul said to Dauid Thou art not able to goe against this Philistine to fight with him for thou art but a boy and he is a man of warre from his youth Dauid answered that he was able to fight with and to slay the vncircumcised Philistine And the ground of his perswasion was taken from experience for thus he saide Thy seruant kept his fathers sheepe and there came a Lyon and likewise a Beare and tooke a sheepe out of the flocke and I went out after him and smote him and tooke it out of his mouth and when he arose against me I caught him by the beard and smote him and slew him So thy seruant slew both the Lyon and the Beare therefore this vncircumcised Philistine shal be as one of thē seeing he hath rayled on the hoast of the liuing God The like proceeding must be in matters concerning eternall life Little Dauid resembleth euery Christian Goliah and the armie of the Philistines resembleth Sathan and his power He therefore that will be resolued that he shall be able to ouercome the gates of hell and attaine to life euerlasting must long keepe watch and ward ouer his owne heart and he must fight against his owne rebellious flesh and crucifie it yea he must haue experiences of Gods power strengthening him in many temptations before he shall be fully assured of his attaining to the kingdome of heauen XXII Thus much concerning faith it selfe now follow the fruits and benefits of faith By meanes of this speciall faith the Elect are truly ioyned vnto Christ and haue an heauenly communion and fellowship with him and therefore doe in some measure inwardly feele his holy spirit moouing and stirring in them as Rebecca felt the Twins to stirre in her wombe Christ is as the head in the bodie euery beleeuer as a member of the same bodie now as the head giueth sense and motion to the members and the members feele themselues to haue sense and to mooue by meanes of the head so doth Christ Iesus reuiue and quicken euery true beleeuer and
and vndiscret companie that would seeme to crie out for discipline their whole talke is of it and yet they neither knowe it nor will be reformed by it and yet they are enemies to it as for the lawe of God and the promises of the Gospell they little regard they maintain vile sinnes in refusing to heare the reading or the preaching of the word and this is great contempt of Gods benefits and vnthankefulnesse to him They are full of pride thinking themselues to be full when they are emptie to haue all knowledge when they are ignorant and had neede to bee catechized the poyson of Aspes is vnder their lippes they refuse not to speake euill of the blessed seruants of God Well doe they aboue all things seeke the kingdome of GOD then let them be sincere seekers of it which they shall doe if in seeking Christs kingdome they seeke the righteousnesse thereof vnto which they can neuer come but by the applying of the threatnings of the lawe and the comforts of the gospel to their own consciences But whereas they seeke the one and not the other they giue all men to vnderstand with what spirit they speake CONSOLATIONS FOR THE TROVBLED consciences of repentant Sinners Sinner GOod sir I know the Lord hath giuen you the tongue of the learned to be able to minister a word in time to him that is wearie therefore I pray you helpe me in my miserie Minister Ah my good brother what is the matter with you and what aile you Sinner I liued a long time the Lord he knoweth it after the manner of the world in all the lusts of my filthie flesh then I was neuer troubled but it hath plesed GOD of his mercie to touch my heart and to send his owne sonne that good sheapheard Iesus Christ to fetch me home to his owne fold euen vpon his own necke and since that time it is a wonder to see howe my poore heart hath beene troubled my corruption so boyles in me and Sathan will neuer let me alone Minister Your case is a blessed case for not to be troubled of Satan is to be possessed of him that is to be held captiue vnder the power of darkenes and to be a slaue and vassall of Sathan for as long as the strong man keepes the hold all things are is peace Contrariwise hee that hath receiued any sparkle of true faith shall see the gates of hell that is the deuill and his angels in their full strengthâ— to stand vp against him and to fight with an endles hatred for his finall confusion Sinner But this my trouble of mind hath made me oftentimes feare least God would reiect me and vtterly depriue me of the kingdome of heauen Minister But there is no cause why it should so doe For how should heauen bee your resting place if on earth you were not troubled how could god wipe away your teares from your eies in heauen if on earth you shead them not You would be freâ— from miseries you looke for heauen vpon earth But if you will go to heauen the right waie is to saile by hel If you wil sit at Christs table in his kingdome you must bee with him in his temptations You are as Gods corne you must therefore goe vnder the fâ—aile the fanne the milstone and the ouen before you can be Gods bread You are one of Christs Lambes looke therefore to be fleeced and to haue the bloodie knife at your throat all the daie long If you were a market sheepe bought to be solde you should be stalled and kept in a fat pasture but you are for Gods owne occupying therfore you must pasture on the bare common abiding stormes tempests Sathans snatches the worlds woundes contempt of conscience and frettes of the flesh But in this your miserie I will be a Simon vnto you to helpe you to carrie your crosse so be it you will reueale your mind vnto me Christian. I will doe it willingly my temptations are either against my faith in Christ or against repentance for my sinnes Minister What is your temptation as touching faith Christian. Ah woe is me I am much afraid least I haue no faith in Christ my Sauiour Minister What causeth this feare Christian. Diuers things Minister What is one Christian. I am troubled with many doubtings of my saluation and so it comes into my minde to thinke that by my incredulitie I should quite cut off my selfe from the fauour of God Minister But you must knowe this one thing that he that neuer doubted of his saluation neuer beleeued and that hee which beleeueth in trueth feeleth many doubtings and wauerings euen as the sound man feels many grudgings of diseases which if he had not health he could not feele Christian. But you neuer knewe any that hauing true faith doubted of their saluation Minister What will you then say of the man that said Lord I beleeue Lord helpe mine vnbeleefe And of Dauid who made his moane after this manner Is his mercy cleane gone for euer Doth his promise faile for euermore Hath God forgotten to be mercifull Hath he shut vp his tender mercie in displeasure Yea hee goeth on further as a man in despaire And I said this is my death Hereby it is manifest that a man indued with true faith may haue not onely assaults of doubting but of desperation This further appeareth in that he saith in an other place Why art thou cast downe my soule Why art thou disquieted within me Waite on God for I will yet giue thankes he is my present helpe and my God And in very truth you may perswade your selfe that they are but vnreasonable men that say they haue long beleeued in Christ without any doubting of their saluation Christian. But Dauid had more in him then I haue for me thinkes there is nothing in this wicked heart of mine but rebellion against GOD nothing but doubting of his mercie Minister Let me know but one thing of you these doubtings which you feele doe you like them or doe you take any pleasure in them and doe you cherish them Christian. Nay nay they appeare very vile in mine eies and I do abhorre them from my heart and I would faine beleeue Minister In man we must consider his estate by nature and his estate by grace In the first hee and his flesh are all one for they are as man wife therfore one is accessarie to the doings of the other When the flesh sinneth the man also sinneth that is in subiection to the flesh yea when the flesh perisheth the man likewise perisheth beeing in this estate with the flesh a louing couple they are they liue and die together But in the estate of grace though a man haue the flesh in him yet hee and his flesh are diuorced asunder This diuorcement is made when a man begins to dislike and to hate his flesh and the euil fruits of it this separation
Lazarus that he may dippe the tip of his finger in water and coole my tongue And if thou be one which hast care to order thy selfe in speech silence according to gods word oh doe it more For what a shame is it that men with the same tongue wherewith they confesse the faith and religion of Christ should by vaine and vngodly speech vtterly denie the power thereof And for thy better helpe herein I haue penned these few lines following concerning the Gouernment of the tongue Vse them for thy benefit and finding profit thereby giue glorie to God M. D. XCII Decemb. 12. W. Perkins OF THE GOVERNEMENT OF THE TONGVE CHAP. I. Of the generall meanes of ruling the Tongue THE gouernement of the tongue is a vertue pertaining to the holy vsage of the tongue according to GODS word And for the well-ordering of it two things are requisite a pure heart and skill in the language of Canaan The pure heart is most necessary because it is the fountaine of speech and if the fountaine be defiled the streames that issue thence can not be cleane And because the heart of man by nature is a bottomlesse gulfe of iniquitie two things are to be knowne first how it must be made pure then how it is alwaies afterward to be kept pure The way to get a pure heart is this First thou must seriously examine thy life and thy conscience for all thy sinnes past then with a heauie and bleeding heart confesse them to God vtterly condemning thy selfe Thirdly with deepe sighes and groanes of spirit crie vnto heauen to God the father in the name of Christ for pardon I say for pardon of the same sinnes as it were for life and death and that day and night till the Lord send downe from heauen a sweete certificate into thy perplexed conscience by his holy spirit that all thy sinnes are done away Now at the same instant in which pardon shall be graunted God likewise will once againe stretch forth that mightie hand of his whereby he made thee when thou wast not to make thee a new creature to create a new heart in thee to renue a right spirit in thee and to stablish thee by his free spirit For whome he iustifieth them also at the same time he sanctifieth The purified heart appeareth by these signes I. If thou feele thy selfe to be displeased at thine owne infirmities and corruptions and to droope vnder them as men doe vnder bodily sicknesse II. If thou begin to hate and to flie thine owne personall sinnes III. If thou feele a griefe and sorrow after thou hast offended God IV. If thou heartily desire to abstaine from all manner of sinne V. If thou be carefull to auoide all occasions and entisements to euill VI. If thou trauell and doe thine endeauour in euery good thing VII If thou desire and pray to God to wash and rinse thine heart in the blood of Christ. When the heart is pure to keepe it so is the speciall worke of faith which purifieth the heart Faith purifieth the heart by a particular applying of Christ crucified with all his merits Elisha when he went vp and lay vpon the dead child and put his mouth on his mouth and his eyes vpon his eyes and his hands vpon his hands and stretched himselfe vpon him the flesh of the child waxed warme Afterward Elisha rose and spread himselfe vpon him the second time then the child neezed seuen times and opened his eies So must a man by faith euen spread himselfe vpon the crosse of Christ applying handes and feete to his pierced handes and feete his wretched heart to Christs bleeding heart and then he shall feele himselfe warmed by the heat of Gods spirit and sinne from day to day crucified with Christ his dead heart quickened reuiued And this applying which faith maketh is done by a kind of reasoning which faith maketh thus Hath god of his mercie giuen his own sonne to be my Sauiour to shed his blood for me and hath he of his mercie graunted vnto me the pardon of all my sinnes I will therfore endeauour to keepe my heart and my life vnblameable that I doe not offend him hereafter in word or deede as I haue done heretofore The language of Canaan is whereby a man endued with the spirit of adoption vnfainedly calleth vpon the name of God in Christ and so consequently doth as it were familiarly talke and speake with God This language must needes be learned that the tongue may be well gouerned For man must first be able to talke with God before he can be able wisely to talke with man For this cause when men are to haue communication one with another they are first of all to bee carefull that they often make their praiers to God that hee would guide and blesse them in their speeches as Dauid did Set a watch O Lord before my mouth and keepe the doore of my lippes And againe O Lord open thou my lippes and my mouth shall shewe forth thy praise Where we may see that the mouth is as it were locked vp from speaking any good thing vntill the Lord open it And Paul hauing the gift of ordering his tongue in wonderful measure yet desireth the Ephesians to pray for him that vtterance might be giuē him and good reason because God ruleth the tongue CHAP. II. Of the matter of our speech THe gouernment of the tongue containeth two partes holy speech and holy silence In holy speech must be cōsidered the matter of our speech and the manner The matter is commonly one of these three either God our neighbour or our selues As concerning God this caueat must be remembred that the honourable titles of his glorious Maiestie be neuer taken into our mouthes vnlesse it bee vpon a weightie and iust occasion so as wee may plainely see that glorie will redound to him thereby and for this cause the third commandement was giuen that men might not take vp the name of God in vaine that is rashly and lightly And therefore lamentable and fearefull is the practise euerie where For it is a common thing with men to beginne their speech and to place titles of Gods most high Maiestie in the fore-front almost of euery sentence by saying O Lord O God! O good God! O mercifull God! O Iesu O Christ c. If a mā be to say any thing he will not say Yea or Nay but O Lord yea or O Lord nay If a man be to reprooue his inferiour he will presently say O Lord haue mercy on vs what a slowbacke art thou what a lie is this c. An earthly Prince if hee should haue his name so tossed in our mouthes at euery worde would neuer beare it and how shall the euerliuing God suffer it nay how can hee suffer it I say no more but thou with thy selfe thinke how for in the third commandement the punishment is set down That he will
and washed himselfe seauen times in Iordan When any shall in this manner be admonished of a fault they are to yeelde themselues tractable and thankfull and heartily glad of so good a friend Notable is the speech of the Psalmist Let the righteous smite me it is a benefit and let him reprooue me it is the chiefe ointment let it not be wanting to my head And Salomon saith A reproofe entreth more into him that hath vnderstanding then an hundred stripes into a foole And Open rebuke is better then secret loue CHAP. VII Of Sobrietie Vrbanitie Fidelitie and care of others good name SObrietie in iudgement is when a man either suspendeth his opinion of his neighbours sayings or doings or else speaketh as charitably as hee can by saying as little as may bee if the thing bee euil or by interpreting all in better part if the speech or action be doubtfull Therefore doe thus despise not thy neighbour but thinke thy selfe as bad a sinner and that the like defects may befall thee If thou canst not excuse his doing excuse his intent which may be good or if the deede be euill thinke it was done of ignorance if thou canst no way excuse him think some great temptation befel him that thou shouldst be worse if the like temptation befel thee and giue God thanks that the like as yet hath not befallen thee Despise not a man beeing a sinner for though hee be euil to day he may turne to morrowe Here is condemned all headie and rash iudgement whereby men make things either worse then they are or else they take and turne all things to the worse part Thus the deuil dealt with Iob saying Doeth Iob feare God for nought c. but stretch out thine hand now and touch all that hee hath to see if hee will not blaspheme thee to thy face Such was the dealing of Doeg with Dauid I saw the sonne of Ishai saith he when hee came to Abimelech the sonne of Ahitub who asked counsell of the Lord for him and gaue him victuals and he gaue him also the sword of Goliah the Philistim Here the backebiter concealeth the necessary circumstances whereby Abimelech might haue bene excused as that Dauid asked bread beeing hungrie and that he told not Abimelech that hee was out of Sauls fauour but he turneth al his speech to this end to bring the priest into suspition with Saul Thus the Pharises dealt Iohn came neither eating nor drinking and they say he hath a deuill The sonne of man came eating and drinking they say Behold a glutton and a drinker of wine and a friend of Publicans and sinners Contrarie to this Sobrietie is Flatterie whereby for hope either of fauour or gaine men and especially such as are of dignitie and place are soothed vp in their sinnes and extolled aboute measure euen to their faces As when Herod arrayed in royall apparell and sate on the iudgement seat and made an oration the people gaue a shout saying The voice of God and not of man But marke what Salomon saith Hee that praiseth his friend with a loud voice rising early in the morning it shall be counted to him for a curse One being asked which was the worst of all beasts answered Of wild beasts the tyrant of tame beasts the flatterer And another said that flatterers were worse then crowes for they eate onely dead carrion these feede on liuing men And of all kinds of Flatterie that is the worst when a man shall speak faire to his neighbours face and praise him but behind his backe speake his pleasure and euen cut his throat Dauid complaineth of his familiar friendâ— that the words of his mouth were softer then butter yet warre was in his heart that his words were more gentle then oile yet they were swordes The Pharises behinde Christs backe tooke counsell howe they might intangle him in talke but before his face they say Master we knowe that thou art true and teachest the way of God truely neither carest thou for any man for thou considerest not the person of men Vrbanitie is a grace of speech whereby men in seemely manner vse pleasantnesse in talke for recreation or for such delight as is ioyned with profit to themselues and others The Preacher saith There is a time to laugh and a time to weepe When the Lord brought againe the captiuitie of Sion wee were like them that dreame Then was our mouth filled with laughter and our tongue with ioy Nowe this mirth must bee ioyned with the feare of God otherwise Salomon saith well I haue said to laughter thou art mad and of ioy what is that thoâ— doest And Christ saieth Woe to you that now laugh for ye shall weepe Secondly with compassion and sorrow for Gods people in affliction and miserie They drinke wine in bowles and annoint themselues with cheiefe ointments but no man is sorry for the affliction of Ioseph Thirdly it must be sparing and moderate Paul condemneth such as are louers of pleasures more then of God Fourthly it must be voide of the practise of sinne Moses is commended that he refused the pleasures of sinne The vsuall time of mirth is at meates And here Sampsons practise may be followed who at his marriage feast propounded a riddle or hard question to his friends And Ambrose thinketh that hee did this to stoppe the mouthes of talkers and to occupie their wits With all it must be remembred to be a Christian dutie euen at the table to maintaine talke of religion and of duties of godlinesse after the practise of our Sauiour Christ though many vpon little ground thinke otherwise Tertullian recordeth of the Christians of his time that they vsed in their loue-feasts to talke togither as considering with themselues that they had God himselfe as an eare-witnesse to them Chrysostome of this point saith well I would to God saith he that in tauerns and feasts and at bathes men would talke and dispute of hell for the remembring of hell would hinder a man from falling to hell And it was the manner of the primitiue Church at Dinner and supper to vse the reading of the Scriptures When yee come to the table saith Augustine heare that which is read according to custome without any stirre or striuing that your mouthes may not onely receiue the meat but your eares may hunger after the word of God And this ancient custome is to this day retained in the Colledges of the Vniuersitie of Cambridge And this holy reioycing at meates is specially to bee vsed with such as are godly As Salomon saith that he which eateth at the couetous mans table shal vomit his morsells and shall loose his sweete wordes The faithfull at Ierusalem did breake bread togither with gladnes and singlenes of heart Question Whether iesting be tollerable in any sort or not Answer That iesting which standeth in quippes taunts and girdes which
word of God For Paul saith that they that are the childreÌ„ of god are led by the spirit of Christ. Nowe seeing this is so that if wee would liue eternally wee must begin to liue that blessed and eternall life before we die here we must be carefull to reform two common errors The first is that a man enters into eternall life when hee dies and not before which is a flat vntruth Our Sauiour Christ said to Zacheus This day is saluation come to thy houseâ— giuing vs to vnderstand that a man then begins to be saued when God doeth effectually call him by the ministery of his Gospell Whosoeuer then will bee saued when hee is dying and dead must begin to be saued while he is nowe liuing His saluation must beginne in this life that would come to saluation after this life Verely verely saith Christ he that heareth my word and â—eleeueth in him that sent me hath eternall life namly in this present life The second error is that howsoeuer a man liue if when he is dying he can lift vp his eies and say Lord haue mercie vpon me hee is certainly saued Behold a verie dangerous and foolish conceit that deceiues many a man It is all one as if an arrant theife should thus reason with himselfe and say I will spend my daies in robbing and stealing I feare neither arraignment nor exequution For at the verie time when I am to bee turned off the ladder if I doe but call vpon the iudge I knowe I shall haue my pardon Behold a most dangerous and desperate course the verie same is the practise of carelesse men in the matter of their saluation For a man may diâ— with Lord haue mercie in his mouth and perish eternally except in this world he enter into the first degree of eternall life For not euerie one that sayeth Lord Lord shall enter into heauen but he that doth the will of the father which is in heauen The fourth dutie is to exercise and inure our selues in dying by little little so long as we liue here vpon earth before we come to die indeede And as men that are appointed to runne a race exercise themselues in running that they may get the victorie so should we begin to die now while we are liuing that we might die well in the end But some may say how should this be done Paul giues vs direction in his owne example when he saith by the reioycing which I haue in Christ I die daily And he died daily not onely because hee was often in danger of death by reason of his calling but also because in al his dangers and troubles he inured himselfe to die For when men do make the right vse of their afflictions whether they bee in bodie or minde or both and doe with all their might endeauour to beare them patiently humbling themselues as vnder the correction of God then they begin to die well And to doe this indeede is to take an excellent course He that would mortifie his greatest sins must begin to doe it with small sinnes which when they are once reformed a man shall be able more easily to ouercome his master-sinnes So likewise he that would be able to beare the crosse of all crosses namely death it selfe must first of all learne to beare small crosses as sicknesses in bodie and troubles in minde with losses of goods and of friendes and of good name which I may fitly tearme little deaths and the beginnings of death it selfe and we must first of all acquaint our selues with these little deaths before we can wel be able to beare the great death of al. Againe the afflictions and calamities of this life are as it were the harbingers and puruiers of death and we are first to learne how to entertaine these messengers that when death the lord himselfe shall come we may in better manner entertaine him This point Bilney the martyr well considered who oftentimes before hee was burned put his finger into the flame of the candle not onely to make triall of his abilitie in suffering but also to arme and strengthen himselfe against greater torments in death Thus ye see the fourth dutie which ye must in any wise learne and remember because wee cannot be able to beare the pangs of death well vnles we bee first well schooled and nurtered by sundrie trials in this life The fifth and last dutie is set down by Salomon All that thine hand shall find to doe doe it with all thy power And marke the reason For there is neither worke nor inuention nor knowledge nor wisdome in the graue whither thou goest To the same purpose Paul saith Doe good to all men while ye haue time Therefore if any man be able to doe any good seruice either to Gods church or to the common wealth or to any priuate man let him doe it with all speede and with all might least death it selfe preuent him He that hath care thus to spende his daies shall with much comfort and peace of conscience ende his life Thus much of generall preparation Now followeth the particular which is in the time of sicknes And here first of all I will shew what is the doctrine of the Papists and then afterward the truth By the popish order and practise when a man is about to die he is inioyned three things First to make sacramentall confession specially if it be in any mortall sinne secondly to receiue the Eucharist thirdly to require his annoyling that is the sacrament as they call it of extreame vnction Sacramentall confession they tearme a rehearsall or enumeration of all mans sinnes to a priest that he may receiue absolution But against this kinde of confession sundrie reasons may be alleadged First of all it hath no warrant either by commandement or example in the whole word of God They say yes and they indeauour to prooue it thus He which lies in any mortall sinne is by Gods law bound to doe penance and to seeke reconciliation with God now the necessarie meanes after baptisme to obtaine reconciliation is the confession of all our sinnes to a priest Because Christ hath appointed priests to be iudges vpon earth with such measure of authoritie that no man falling after baptisme can without their sentence and determination be reconciled and they can not rightly iudge vnlesse they know all a mans sinnes therefore all that fall after baptisme are bound by Gods word to open all their sinnes to a priest Ans. It is false which they say that priests are iudges hauing power to examine and take knowledge of mens sinnes and iurisdiction whereby they can properly absolue pardon or retaine them For Gods word hath giuen no more to man but a ministerie of reconciliation whereby in the name of God and according to his word he doth preach declare and pronounce that God doth pardon or not pardon his sinnes Againe pardon may truly be pronounced
followed of all though it may be the applying of it as Iob well perceiued is mixed with follie Here it may be alleadged that in the pangs of death men want their senses and conuenient vtterance and that therefore they are vnable to pray Ans. The very sighes sobbes and gâ—ones of a repentant and beleeuing heart are praiers before God euen as effectuall as if they were vttered by the best voice in the world Prayer stands in the affection of the heart the voice is but an outward messenger therof God looks not vpon the speach but vpon the heart Dauid saith God heares the desires of the poore againe that he will fulfill the desires of theÌ„ that feare him yea their very teares are loud and sounding praiers in his eares Againe faith may otherwise be expressed by the Last words which for the most part in theÌ„ that haue truly serued God are very excellent coÌ„fortable and full of grace some choise examples whereof I will rehearse for instructions sake and for imitation The last wordes of Iacob were those whereby as a prophet he foretold blessings and curses vpon his children and the principall among the rest were these The scepter shall not depart from Iudah and the lawgiuer from betweene his feete till Shilo come and O Lord I haue waited for thy saluation The last words of Moses are his most excellent song set downe Deut. 32. and the last words of Dauid were these The spirit of the Lord spake by me and his word was in my tongue the God of Israel spake to me the strength of Israel said Beare rule ouer men c. The wordes of Zacharias the sonne of Iehoida when he was stoned were The Lord looke vpon it and require it The last words of our Sauiour Christ when he was dying vpon the crosse are most admirable and stored with abundance of spirituall grace 1. To his father he saith Father forgiue them they know not what they doe 2. to the thiefe Verily I say vnto thee this night shalt thou be with me in Paradise 3. to his mother Mother behold thy son to Iohn behold thy mother 4. and in his agonie My God my God why hast thou forsaken me 5. and earnestly desiring our saluation I thirst 6. and when he had made perfect satisfaction It is finished 7. and when bodie and soule were parting Father into thy hands I commend my spirit The last words of Steuen were 1. Behold I see the heauens open and the Sonne of man standing at the right hand of God 2. Lord Iesu receiue my spirit 3. Lord lay not this sinâ—e to their charge Of Polycarpe Thou art a true God without lying therefore in all things I praise thee and blesse thee and glorifie thee by the eternall God and high Priest Iesus Christ thine onely beloued sonne by whome and with whome to thee and the holy Spirit be all glorie now and for euer Of Ignatius I care not what kinde of death I die I am the bread of the Lord and must be ground with the teeth of lyons that I may be cleane bread for Christ who is the bread of life for me Of Ambrose I haue not so led my life amoÌ„g you as if I were ashamed to liue neither doe I feare death because we haue a good Lord. Of Augustine 1. He is no great maÌ„ that thinks it a great matter that trees and stones fall and mortall men die 2. Iust art thou O Lord and righteous is thy iudgement Of Bernard 1. An admonitioÌ„ to his brethren that they would ground the anchor of their faith and hope in the safe and sure port of Gods mercie 2. Because saith he as I suppose I can not leaue vnto you any choise example of religion I commend three things to be imitated of you which I remember that I haue obserued in the race which I haue runne as much as possibly I could 1. I gaue lâ—sse heede to mine owne sense and reason then to the sense and reason of other men 2. When I was hurt I sought not reuenge on him that did the hurt 3. I had care to giue offence to no man and if it fell out otherwise I tooke it away as I could Of Zuinglius when in the fielde he was wounded vnder the chinne with a speare O what happe is this goe to they may kill my bodie but my soule they cannot Of Oecolampadius 1. An exhortation to the ministers of the Church to maintaine the puritie of doctrine to shewe forth an example of honest and godly conuersation to bee constant and patient vnder the crosse 2. Of himselfe Whereas I am charged to bee a corrupter of the trueth I weigh it not now I am going to the tribunall of Christ and that with good conscience by the grace of god there it shall be manifest that I haue not seduced the Church Of this my saying and contestation I leaue you as witnesses and I confirme it with this my last breath 3. To his children loue God the father and turning himselfe to his kinsfolkes I haue bound you saith he with this contestation you which they heare and I haue desired shall doe your indeauour that these my childreÌ„ may be godly and peaceable and true 4. To his friend comming vnto him What shall I say vnto you Newes I shal be shortly with Christ my Lord. 5. being asked whether the light did not trouble him touching his breast there is light enough saith hee 6. he rehearsed the whole 51. psalme with deepe sighes from the bottome of his breast 7. a little after Saue me Lord Iesus Of Luther My heauenly father God and father of our Lord Iesus Christ and God of all comfort I giue thee thankâ—s that thou hast reuealed vnto me thy sonne Iesus Christ whome I haue beleeued whome I haue professed whome I haue loued whome I haue praised whome the Bishoppe of Rome and the whole companie of the wicked persecuteth and reuileth I praie thee my Lord Iesus Christ receiue my poore soule my heauenly father though I bee taken from this life and this bodie of mine is to he laid downe yet I knowe certainely that I shall remaine with thee for euer neither shall any be able to pull me out of thy hand Of Hooper O Lord Iesus sonne of Dauid haue mercie on me receiue my soule Of Annas Burgius Forsake me not O Lord least I forsake thee Of MelaÌ„cthon If it be the will of God I am willing to die and I beseech him that he will graunt me a ioyfull departure Of Caluine 1. I held my tongue because thou Lord hast done it 2. I mourned as a doue 3. Lord thou grindest me to powder but 〈◊〉 sufficeth me because it is thine hand Of Peter Martyr that his bodie was weake but his mind was well that he acknowledged no life or saluation but onely in Christ who was giuen of the father to be a redeemer of mankind and
of the old and new Testament Reason I. He which is the Lord of conscience by his word and lawes binds conscience but God is the onely Lord of conscience because he once created it and he alone gouernes it and none but he knowes it therefore his word and lawes onely binde conscience properly II. He which hath power to saue or destroy the soule for the keeping or breaking of his lawes hath absolute power to bind the soule and conscience by the same lawes but the first is true of God alone Iam. 3. 12. There is one Lawgiuer which is able to saue and destroy Esa. 33.22 The Lord is our iudge the Lord is our lawgiuer the Lord is our King and he will saue vs. Therefore the word of God alone by an absolute and soueraigne power binds conscience Because this point is cleare of it selfe further proofe is needlesse Hence we are taught sundrie points of instruction I. Such as are ignorant among vs must labour to get knowledge of Gods word because it binds conscience Neither will the plea of ignorance serue for excuse because whether we know Gods lawes or know them not they stil bind vs And we are bound not onely to doe them but when we know them not we are further bound not to be ignorant of them but to seeke to know them If we had no more sinnes our ignorance were sufficient to condemne vs. II. Gods word is to be obeyed though we should offend all men yea loose all mens fauour and suffer the greatest domage that may be euen the losse of our liues And the reason is at hand because Gods word hath this prerogatiue to bridle binde and restraine the conscience III. Whatsoeuer we enterprise or take in hand we must first search whether God giue vs libertie in conscience and warrant to doe it For if we doe otherwise conscience is bound presently to charge vs of sinne before God Lastly we doe here see how daungerous the case is of all Time-seruers that will liue as they list and be of no certen religion till differences and dissentions therein be ended and they haue the determination of a generall Councill for whether these things compasse or no certen it is that they are bound in conscience to receiue and beleeue the auncient Propheticall and Apostolicall doctrine touching the true worship of God and the way to life euerlasting which is the true religion The same is to be said of all drowsie Protestants and luke-warme gospellers that vse religion not with that care and conscience they ought but onely then and so farre forth as it serues for their turnes commonly neglecting or despising the assemblies where the word is preached and seldome frequenting the Lords table vnlesse it be at Easter Like silly wretches they neither see nor feele the constraining power that Gods word hath in their consciences Gods word is either Law or Gospell The Law is a part of Gods word of things to be done or to be left vndone And it is threefolde Morall Iudiciall Ceremoniall Morall lawe concernes duties of loue partly to God and partly towards our neighbour it is contained in the Decalogue or ten commandements and it is the very law of nature written in all mens hearts for substance though not for the manner of propounding in the creation of man and therefore it bindes the consciences of all men at all times euen of blind and ignorant persons that neither knowe the most of it nor care to knowe it Yet here must be remembred three exceptions or cautions I. When two commandements of the morall law are opposite in respect of vs so as we cannot doe them both at the same time then the lesser commandement giues place to the greater and doth not binde or constraine for that instant Example I. God commaunds one thing and the magistrate commands the flat contrarie in this case which of these two commandements is to be obeyed Honour God or Honour the Magistrate the answer is that the latter must giue place to the former and the former alone in this case must be obeyed Act. 4.19 Whether it be right in the sight of God to obey you rather then God iudge ye II. The fourth commandement prescribes rest on the Sabbath day now it falls out that at the same time a whole towne is set on fire and the sixt commandement requires our help in sauing our neighbours life and goods Nowe of these two commandements which must be obeied for both cannot The answer is that the fourth commandement at this time is to giue place and the sixt commandement alone bindes the conscience so as then if neede should require a man might labour all the day without offence to God Math. 9.13 I will haue mercie and not sacrifice And the rule must not be omitted That charitie towards our neighbour is subordinate to the Loue of God and therefore must giue place to it For this cause the commandement concerning charitie must giue place to the cōmandement concerning loue to God and when the case so falls out that wee must either offend our neighbour or God we must rather offend our neighbour then God II. Caution When God giues some particular commandement to his people therein dispensing with some other commandement of the moral law for that time it bindes not For euen the morall commandements must be cōceiued with this condition Except God command otherwise Example I. The sixt commandement is Thou shalt not kill but God giues a particular commandement to Abraham Abraham offer thy sonne Isaac in sacrifice to me And this latter commandement at that instant did binde Abraham and he is therefore commended for his obedience to it II. And when God commanded the children of Israel to compasse Ierico seuen daies and therefore on the Sabbath the fourth commaundement prescribing the sanctifying of rest on the Sabbath for that instant and in that action did not bind conscience III. Caution One and the same commandement in some things binds the conscience more straitly and in doing some other things lesse Gal. 6.10 Doe good to all men but specially to them which are of the houshold of faith Hence it ariseth that though all sinnes be mortall and deserue eternal death yet all are not equall but some more grieuous then others Iudiciall lawes of Moses are all such as prescribe order for the executiō of iustice and iudgement in the common wealth They were specially giuen by God and directed to the Iewes who for this very cause were bound in conscience to keepe them all and if the common wealth of the Iewes were nowe standing in the old estate no doubt they should cōtinue stil to bind as before But touching other nations and specially Christian common wealths in these daies the case is otherwise Some are of opinion that the whole iudiciall lawe is wholly abolished and some againe runne to the other extreame holding that iudiciall lawes bind Christians as straightly as Iewes but no
but spirituall Againe in the supper of the Lord euery beleeuer receiueth whole Christ God and man though not the godhead now by this carnall eating we receiue not whole Christ but onely a part of his manhood and therefore in the sacrament there is no carnall eating and consequently no bodily presence Reason VII The iudgement of the auncient Church Theodoret saith The same Christ who called his naturall bodie foode and bread who also called himselfe a vine he vouchsafed the visible signes the name of his owne bodie not chaunging nature but putting grace to nature whereby he meanes consecration And The mysticall signes after sanctification loose not their proper nature For they remaine in their first nature and keepe their first figure and forme and as before may be touched and seene and that which they are made is vnderstood beleeued adored Gelasius saith Bread and wine passe into the substance of the bodie blood of Christ yet so as the substance or nature of bread and wine ceaseth not And they are turned into the diuine substance yet the bread and wine remaine still in the propertie of their nature Lumbard saith If it be asked what conuersion this is whether formall or substantiall or of an other kind I am not able to define And that the fathers held not transubstantiatioÌ„ I proue it by sundrie reasons First they vsed in former times to burne with fire that which remained after the administration of the Lords supper Secondly by the sacramentall vnion of the bread and wine with the bodie and blood of Christ they vsed to confirme the personall vnion of the manhood of Christ with the godhead against heretickes which argument they would not haue vsed if they had beleeued a popish reall presence Thirdly it was a custome in Constantinople that if many parts of the sacrament remained after the administration thereof was ended that young children should be sent for from the schoole to eate them who neuerthelesse were barred the Lords table And this argues plainely that the Church in those daies tooke the bread after the administration was ended for common bread Againe it was once an order in the Romane Church that the wine should be consecrated by dipping into it bread which had beene consecrated But this order cannot stand with the reall presence in which the bread is turned both into the bodie and blood Nicholaus Cabasilas saith After he hath vsed some speech to the people hee erects their mindes and lifâ—s their thoughts from earth and saith Sursum corda Let vs lift vp our hearts let vs thinke on things aboue and not on things that are vpon the earth They consent say that they lift vp their hearts thither where is their treasure and where Christ sits at the right hand of his father Obiections of Papists I. Their first reason is Ioh. 6.55 My flesh is meat indeede and my blood is drinke indeede therefore say they Christs body must be eaten with the mouth and his blood drunke accordingly Ans. The chapter must beâ— vnderstood of a spirituall eating of Christ his bodie is meate indeed but spirituall meate his blood spirituall drink to be receiued not by the mouth but by faith This is the very point that Christ here intends to prooue namely that to beleeue in him is to eate his flesh and to drinke his blood are all one Againe this chapter must not be vnderstood of that speciall eating of Christ in the sacrament for it is said generally v. 53. Except ye eate the flesh of Christ and drinke his blood ye haue no life in you and if these very wordes which are the substance of the chapter must be vnderstood of a sacramentall eating no man before the coÌ„ming of Christ was saued for none did bodily eate or drinke his bodie or blood considering it was not then existing in nature but onely was present to the beleeuing heart by faith II. Obiect An other argument is taken from the words of the institution This is my bodie Ans. These words must not be vnderstood properly but by a figure his bodie beeing put for the signe and seale of his body It is obiected that when any make their last wills and testaments they speake as plainely as they can now in this supper Christ ratifies his last will and testament therefore he spake plainely without any figure Ans. Christ here speaketh plainely and by a figure also for it hath beene alwaies the vsual manner of the Lord in speaking of the sacraments to giue the name of the thing signified to the signe as Gen. 17. 10. circumcision is called the couenant of God and in the next verse in the way of exposition the signe of the couenant And Exod. 12. 11. the paschall lambe is called the angels passing by or ouer the houses of the Israelites whereas indeede it was but a signe thereof and 1. Cor. 10.4 The rock was Christ. 1. Cor. 5.7 The passeouer was Christ. And the like phrase is to bee founde in the institution of this sacrameÌ„t concerning the cup which the Papists theÌ„selues confesse to be figuratiue when it is said Luk. 22. This cup is the newe testament in my blood that is a signe seale and pledge thereof Againe the time when these words were spoken must be considered and it was before the passion of Christ whereas yet his bodie was not crucified nor his blood shed and consequently neither of them could bee receiued in bodily manner but by faith alone Againe Christ was not onely the author but the minister of this sacrament at the time of institution thereof and if the bread had beene truely turned into his bodie and the wine into his blood Christ with his own hands should haue taken his owne bodie and blood and haue giuen it to his disciples nay which is more he should with his owne hands haue taken his owne flesh and drunken his owne blood and haue eaten himselfe For Christ himselfe did eate the bread and drinke the wine that he might with his owne person consecrate his last supper as he had consecrated baptisme before And if these words should be properly vnderstood euery man should bee a manslaier in his eating of Christ. Lastly by means of popish real presence it comes to passe that our bodies should be nourished by naked qualities without any substance which in all philosophie is false and erronious To help this and the like absurdities some Papists make nine wonders in the sacrament The first that Christs bodie is in the Eucharist in as large a quantitie as he was vpon the crosseâ— and is now in heauen yet excludes not the quantitie of the bread The second that there be accidents without a subiect The third that bread is turned into the body of Christ yet is not the matter of the bodie nor resolued to nothing The fourth that the bodie increaseth not by consecration of many hosts and is not diminished by often
all things were cheape 20 That drinking and bezeling in the alehouse or tauerne is good felowship and shewes a good kind nature and maintaines neighbourhoode 21 That a man may sweare by the Masse because it is nothing now and by r Ladie because shee is gone out of the countrie 22 That euery man must be for himselfe and God for vs all 23 That a man may make of his owne whatsoeuer he can 24 That if a man remember to say his praiers in the morning though hâ— neuer vnderstand them he hath blessed himselfe for all the day following 25 That a man praieth when he saith the ten Commandâ—ments 26 That a man eates his maker in the Sacrament 27 That if a man be no adulterer no thiefe nor murderer and doe no man harme he is a right honest man 28 That a man neede not haue any knowledge of Religion because he is not booke-learned 29 That one may haue a good meaning when he saith and doth that which is euill 30 That a man may goe to wizards called wisemen for counsell because God hath prouided a salue for euery sore 31 That ye are to be excused in all your doings because the best men are sinners 32 That ye haue so strong a faith in Christ that no euill companie can hurt you These and such like sayings what argue they but your grosse ignorance Now where ignorance raigneth there raignes sinne and where sinne raignes there the deuill rules and where he rules man are in a damnable case Ye will replie vnto me thus that ye are not so bad I would make you if neede be you can say the Creede the Lords prayer and the ten Commandements and therefore ye will be of Gods beleefe say all men what they will and you defie the deuill from yours hearts I answer againe that it is not sufficient to say all these without booke vnlesse ye can vnderstand the meaning of the words and be able to make a right vse of the Commandements of the Creede of the Lords prayer by applying them inwardly to your hearts and consciences and outwardly to your liues and conuersations This is the very point in which ye faile And for an helpe in this your ignorance to bring you to true knowledge vnfained faith and sound repentance here I haue set downe the principall point of Christian religion in sixe plaine and easie rules euen such as the simplest may easily learne and hereunto is adioyned an exposition of them word by word If ye doe want other good direction then vse this my labour for your instruction In reading of it first learne the sixe principles and when ye haue them without the booke and the meaning of them withall then learne the exposition also which beeing well conceiued and in some measure felt in the heart ye shall be able to profit by Sermons whereas now ye cannot and the ordinarie parts of the Catechisme namely the ten Commaundements the Creede the Lords prayer and the institution of the two Sacraments shall more easily be vnderstood Thine in Christ Iesus William Perkins The foundation of Christian religion gathered into sixe Principles The first Principle Question VVHat doest thou beleeue concerning God A. There is one God creator and gouernour of all things distinguished into the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost Prooues out of the word of God 1. There is a God For the invisible things of him that is his eternall power and Godhead are seene by the creation of the world beeing considered in his workes to the intent that they should be without excuse Neuerthelesse he left not himselfe without witnesse in that he did good and gaue vs raine from heauen and fruitful seasons filling our hearts with food and gladnes 2. This God one Concerning therefore meat sacrificed to idols we knowe that an idol is nothing in the worlde and that there is none other God but one 3. He is creatour of all things In the beginning God created the heauen and the earth Through faith wee vnderstand that the world was ordained by the word of God so that the things which we see are not made of things which did appeare 4. He is gouernour of all things The eies of the Lord in euery place behold the euill and the good Yea and all the haires of your head are numbred 5. Distinguished into the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost And Iesus when he was baptized came straight out of the water and loe the heauens were opened vnto him and Iohn sawe the spirit of God descending like a Doue and lighting vpon him And loe a voice came from heauen saying This is my beloued sonne in whome I am well pleased For there are three which beare record in heauen the Father the word and the holy Ghost and these three are one The second Principle Q. What dost thou beleeue coÌ„cerning man coÌ„cerning thine own selfe A. All men are wholly corrupted with sinne through Adams fall and so are become slaues of Sathan and guiltie of eternall damnation 1. All men are corrupted with sinne As it is written there is none righteous no not one 2. They are wholly corrupted Nowe the very God of peace sanctifie you throughout and I pray God that your whole spirit and soule and bodie may be kept blamelesse vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. This I say therefore and testifie in the Lord that ye henceforth walke not as other Gentiles walke in vanitie of their minde Hauing their cogitation darkened and beeing strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the hardnesse of their heart When the Lord sawe that the wickednesse of man was great in the earth and all the imaginations of the thoughts of his heart were onely euill continually 3. Through Adams fall Wherefore as by one man sinne entred into the worlde and death by sinne and so death went went ouer all men for so much as all men haue sinned 4. And so are become slaues of Sathan Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of the worlde and after the prince that ruleth in the aire euen the spirit that nowe worketh in the children of disobedience For as much then as the children were partakers of flesh and blood he also himselfe likewise tooke part with them that hee might destroy through death him that had the power of death that is the deuill In whome the God of this world hath blinded the mindes that is of Infidels that the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ which is the image of God should not shine vnto them 5. And guiltie of eternall damnation For as many as are of the workes of the Lawe are vnder the curse for it is written Cursed is euery man that continueth not in all things which are written in the booke of the Lawe to doe them Likewise then as by the offence of
Christ. 1. Cor. 3.1 II. Conclusion The first material beginnings of the conuersion of a sinner or the smallest measure of renewing grace haue the promises of this life and the life to come The exposition THE beginnings of conuersion must bee distinguished some are beginnings of preparations some beginnings of composition Beginnings of preparation are such as bring vnder tame and subdue the stubburnenesse of mans nature without making any change at all of this sort are the accusations of the conscience by the ministerie of the lawe feares and terrors arising thence coÌ„punction of heart which is the apprehension of gods anger against sin Now these and the like I exclude in the conclusion for though they goe before to prepare a sinner to his conuersion followingâ— yet are they no graces of God but fruites of the law that is the ministerie of death of an accusing conscience Beginnings of composition I tearme all those inwarde motions and inclinations of Gods spirit that follow after the worke of the law vpon the conscience and rise vpon the meditation of the Gospel that promiseth righteousnes and life euerlasting by Christ out of which motions the conuersion of a sinner ariseth and of this it consisteth what these are it shall afterward appeare Againe grace must be distinguished it is twofold restraining grace or renuing grace Restraining grace I tearme certaine common giftes of God seruing onely to order and frame the outward conuersation of men to the lawe of God or seruing to bereaâ—e men of excuse in the daie of iudgement By this kind of grace heathen men haue beene liberall iust sober valiant By it men liuing in the Church of God haue beene inlightened and hauing tasted of the good worde of God haue reioyced therein and for a time outwardly conformed themselues thereto renewing grace is not common to al men but proper to the elect and it is a gift of Gods spirit whereby the corruption of sinne is not onely restrained but also mortified and the decaied Image of God restored Now then the conclusion must onely be vnderstood of the second and not of the first for though a man haue neuer so much of this restraining grace yet vnlesse he haue the spirit of Christ to create faith in the heart and to sanctifie him he is as farre from saluation as any other Now then the sense and meaning of the conclusion is that the very least meanes of sauing grace and the very beginnings or seedes of regeneration doe declare and after a sort giue title to men of all the mercifull promises of God whether they concerne this life or the life to come and therefore are approoued of God if they be in trueth and accepted as greater measures of grace That which our Sauiour Christ saieth of the worke of miracles â—f you haue faith as a graine of Musterd seede ye shall say vnto this mountaine remooue hence to yonder place and it shall remooue must by the lawe of equall proportion be applyed to faith repentance the feare of God and all other graces if they bee truely wrought in the heart though they bee but as small as one little graine of musterd-seede they shall be sufficiently effectuall to bring forth good workes for which they were ordained The Prophet Esay 42.3 saith that Christ shall not quench the smoaking flaxe nor breake the bruised reede Let the comparison be marked fire in flaxe must be both little and weake in quantitie as a sparke or twaine that cannot cause a flame but onely a smoake specially in a matter â—o easie to burne Here then is signified that the gifts and graces of Gods spirit that are both for measure and strength as a sparke or twaine of fire shall not be neglected but rather accepted and cherished by Christ. When our Sauiour Christ heard the young man make a confession of a practise but of outward and ciuill righteousnes he looked vpon him and loued him and when he heard the Scribe to speake discreetely but one good speach that to louâ— God with all his heart is aboue all sacrifices he said vnto him That he was not farre from the kingdome of heauen Therefore no doubt hee will loue with a more special loue and accept as the good subiects of his kingdome those that haue receiued a further mercie of God to be borne anew of water and of the spirit III. Conclusion A constant and earnest desire to be reconciled to God to beleeue and to repent if it be in a touched heart is in acceptation with God as reconciliation faith repentance it selfe The Exposition LVst or desire is twofold naturall and supernaturall Naturall is that whose beginning and obiect is in nature that is which ariseth of the naturall will of man and anecteth such things as are thought to be good according to the light of nature And this kind of desire hath his degrees yet so as they are all limited within the compasse of nature Some desire riches honours pleasures some learning and knowledge because it is the light and perfection of the minde some goe further and seeke after the vertues of iustice temperance liberalitie c. and thus many heathen men haue excelled Some againe desire true happinesse as Balaam did who wished to die the death of the righteous because it is the propertie of nature to seeke the preseruation of it selfe But here nature staies it selfe for where the minde reueales not the will affects not Supernaturall desires are such as both for their beginning and obiect are aboue nature for their beginning is from the holy Ghost and the obiect or matter about which they are conuersant are things diuine and spirituall which concerne the kingdome of heauen and of this kind are the desires of which I speake in this place Againe that we may not be deceiued in our desires but may the better discerne them from flittering fleeting motions I adde three restraints First of all the desire of reconciliation the desire to beleeue or the desire to repent c. must be constant and haue continuance otherwise it may iustly be suspected Secondly it must be earnest and serious though not alwaies yet at sometimes that we may be able to say with Dauid My soule desireth after thee O Lord as the thirstie laÌ„d And as the heart braieth after the riuers of water so panteth my soule after thee O God my soule thirsteth for God euen the liuing god Thirdly it must be in a touched heart for when a man is touched in conscience the heart is cast down and as much as it can it withdrawes it selfe from God For this cause if then there be any spirituall motions whereby the heart is lift vp vnto God they are without doubt from the spirit of God Thus then I auouch that the desire of reconciliation with God in Christ is reconciliation it selfe the desire to beleeue is faith indeede and the desire to repent repentance it selfe But marke how A desire to be reconciled is not